THE PLAYERS Roundtable: Is this over?

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Each day at THE PLAYERS Championship, PGATOUR.COM’s staff writers will dive into the big issues and questions everyone is discussing. Spoiler alert — there’s lots more talk about Webb Simpson, but some about Tiger Woods as well. The question is not “if,” but “by how much.â€� What will be Webb Simpson’s margin of victory? Cameron Morfit (Staff Writer) — I’m guessing he’ll win by five. The margin will go down to four or so, close enough to be tight, but he’ll settle down and finish it off. Ben Everill (Staff Writer) — I’ll go with five shots. He starts seven clear. He will play defensively to a 70 and it will be more than enough. Mike McAllister (Managing Editor) — Foot off the pedal for Simpson. Everybody else able to free-wheel it. Somebody will go low. Simpson to win by four shots. Sean Martin (Senior Editor) — Ten. I like round numbers. What thing has impressed you most about Simpson this week? Morfit — That par putt he drained on No. 18 spoke volumes. How can you beat a guy when he’s doing that all day? Everill — The easy answer is putting but I will say even more impressive has been the clutch shots or putts at the clutch times. His eagle hole out from the bunker on No. 11 today never looked like missing. Incredible. McAllister — The easy thing would be his putting – he’s made about 400 feet of putts if you include the ones from off the green. But really, it’s just that he’s not flinching on a course that never lets you relax. Seeing a player crank on all cylinders is a beautiful thing. Martin — The putting has been incredible. It’s very fitting on the one-year anniversary of the grip change that changed his career. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. Is this the most impressive performance of any PLAYERS champion? Morfit — No, no. I will still take Rickie Fowler going eagle, birdie, birdie to force the playoff in 2015. That was one of the most thrilling finishes I’ve ever seen in any tournament. Everill — Not yet. But it is heading that way. My bias is likely clouding me but Greg Norman went wire-to-wire in 1994 and finished 24-under. Steve Elkington won by seven in 1997. And Jason Day won by four in 2016 in brutally tough conditions. Those are the marks to beat. McAllister — Statistically, of course, it is — at least through 54 holes. His 7-shot lead obliterates the previous record held by Alex Cejka (who, by the way, did not convert his 5-stroke lead into a win). I’m still partial to Rickie Fowler’s finish in 2015, but simply for the ridiculous fireworks at the end. That’s a completely different perspective — and I wasn’t at TPC Sawgrass when Steve Elkington won by 7 in 1997. Martin — From start to finish, I say yes. This thing is a romp. Now for the biggest mystery: Who wins the “B flight?” Morfit — I’m going to take Jimmy Walker. He’s been very much under the radar all week, and he’s playing very well again. Everill — This won’t come as a surprise to many but I’ll say Jason Day. He’s driven to win the FedExCup and return to world No. 1, so he will play like every shot matters. McAllister — I kind of like Jordan Spieth (no surprise for anyone who knows me and my affinity for all things Texas). He’ll use Sunday to continue trying to solve TPC Sawgrass, and I fully expect for him to follow up his 65 with another low number. Martin — Jason Day. A strong season continues. How do you assess Tiger’s 65? What significance does it have? Morfit — Confidence is everything. That 65 won’t have much bearing on THE PLAYERS, but it will certainly be in the front of his mind in his next start. We might look back on that round as the start of a great summer for Tiger. Everill — It was awesome — and disappointing at the same time. He was 8-under through 12 holes but couldn’t find another gear coming in. Old Tiger would have and might have found himself in the final group Sunday … now THAT would have been something. It shows that maybe a win might come around the corner. McAllister — His lowest score since 2015? I think that’s huge. Sure, he’s not really in contention, but it’s got to be a confidence booster and could pay big dividends later this season. Martin — I think it shows that, despite some mediocre performances at Wells Fargo and the Masters, he’s capable of winning this year. It’s just a matter of putting all the pieces together.

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