What better time to make your Players Championship debut than at its 50th edition?
22 players ventured to the back lawn at TPC Sawgrass to chat with the media ahead of their first appearances at the PGA Tour’s flagship event.
One by one, commissioner Jay Monahan dished out their tour cards and congratulated them on their recent successes.
Players from across the globe both young and old will take on one of golf’s most iconic venues this week for the first time.
We know The Players is not a major championship, but the aura and excitement surrounding a player’s first visit to the Stadium Course is comparable to all four of the sport’s biggest events.
NCG’s Matt Chivers caught up with Nick Dunlap, Jake Knapp, Vincent Norrman and Nicolai Hojgaard outside of the Sawgrass clubhouse to gather their thoughts on a warm, sunny Wednesday morning in Ponte Vedra.
Players Championship 2024 debutants
Nick Dunlap
Dunlap made history at the American Express in January by becoming the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson in 1991.
The 20-year-old became the second youngest player to win on the tour after World War Two since Jordan Spieth and he was also the first reigning US Amateur champion to win on the tour since Tiger Woods in 1996.
From being a top amateur to conquering the professional scene in no time at all, Dunlap has fast-forwarded from college to having lunch with major champions.
“It’s still cool, I look back on it all the time and watch videos on it and I still have to pinch myself a little bit that I’m out here, but it’s starting to get a little bit more comfortable,” he said, admitting to watching back his victory at the start of the year,” he said.
“I would say it’s not – my eyes aren’t as wide as they were when I was first getting out here and I’m starting to get to know some of the guys a little bit more which helps for sure.
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“I went from playing college events and I flew under the radar a little bit at the American Express, playing as an amateur and playing well the last couple of days.
“But that next week, I’m at a dinner with Rory (McIlroy) and Justin (Thomas), so that was probably a little eye-opening for me. But no, they’ve been awesome and very welcoming to me which has been helpful.
“It’s a little overwhelming and there are new struggles and new problems that I didn’t know I’d face and I’m taking that one step at a time. It’s more so trying to get comfortable out here. It’s a little, not uncertain, it’s a weird feeling going from junior golf to amateur golf or amateur golf to professional golf, it’s a weird feeling and it’s something I’m trying to get used to.
“Crazy. It’s been something that’s been very rewarding for me for the work I’ve put in – but also there’s been a lot of different situations that I’ve never had to deal with, but also a lot of good situations so this is ultimately where I wanted to be – just trying to learn as much as I can from other people that have been out here from people who are a little bit older who have already done this.”
ALSO: What clubs does Nick Dunlap use?
Jake Knapp
Knapp burst on to the scene last month, winning the Mexico Open at Vidanta by two shots and earning his first PGA Tour title in his rookie season.
Knapp’s story is an incredible one. In 2021, he took a job as a nightclub bouncer after losing his Korn Ferry Tour card. He played in mini-tour events and PGA Tour Canada events before earning his Korn Ferry spot back.
After finishing 13th on the Korn Ferry Tour money list in 2023, Knapp has already maximised his opportunities in 2024 to qualify for The Players Championship with the Masters also to come in April.
“It’s just what you want as a player, you want to be at the toughest courses, the toughest conditions and the best fields and that’s what hopefully I’ll be playing in in the rest of the year,” he said.
“Augusta and all that stuff, anything down the road, I’m just taking it week by week, I think I’ve done a very good job of that, just staying in the moment preparing like it’s any other golf tournament and for the most part, it is.
“It’s just grass and air and everything is pretty much the same, you want to soak it in because these are the tournaments I’ve wanted to play in my entire life without a doubt, but at the same time, I don’t want to show up and finish last.
“I like to complete and I’m not trying to prove to anyone else that I’m ready to play out here, it’s just one of those things I want to prove to myself, that my game is ready.”
ALSO: Breaking down the swing of Jake Knapp
ALSO: ‘I’m quite surprised The Players isn’t considered a major’
Nicolai Hojgaard
Hojgaard joined the PGA Tour as a Special Temporary Member in 2023. He almost crowned earning his full membership at the Farmers Insurance Open at the start of this season, but came second to fellow European Matthieu Pavon.
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From playing in India and Thailand around the same time last year on the DP World Tour to earning his US stripes and sitting outside on the first-timer’s lawn at TPC Sawgrass, the life and career of Nicolai Hojgaard have taken a huge boost in 12 months.
The young Dane made his debut for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in Rome and just a matter of months later, he won the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. By reflecting on his steep trajectory, the 23-year-old has released golf can take you “somewhere pretty cool.”
“Sometimes, you get carried away, you want to perform better and you want to play well. You see guys, the top guys and you want to push on. Sometimes it’s good to sit down and reflect on how far, because at some point, I would’ve taken this but now, you want more, but we were playing in India (last year) and Thailand,” he said.
“I enjoyed that but now we’re here, so that’s been a big improvement and sometimes, you take it for granted a little bit and just want to push on.
“Now when I look back on it, it’s pretty cool to be sitting here and see what’s happened in the last year and so, hopefully by doing that, I can reflect a little bit about it and make a plan and keep improving slowly and reach our goals, but it’s pretty cool sitting here.
“I never set a target where I said in 20 this or 20 that I want to be sitting at The Players, but I look back and it’s definitely been a goal, but it’s never been a goal to just play an event.
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“Everybody sitting here wants to win events but we don’t have to say that, it’s deep down in everyone, but I think by seeing small improvements, you can see your game getting better and you can see you get into bigger events and majors.
“I probably didn’t expect Rome when I started 2023 to be honest, to then see how the whole season evolved into getting on the team and being successful in Rome, it makes me think that if you focus on the small percentages all the time, and small improvements and working hard on your game and not getting carried away with what everybody else is doing, the game can take you somewhere pretty cool.”
ALSO: ‘You can’t fake it’: Ludvig Aberg is ready for the TPC Sawgrass test
Vincent Norrman
Much like Hojgaard, Vincent Norrman has been flying the flag for Europe and Scandinavia on both sides of the pond in the last year or so.
Norrman won for the first time on the PGA Tour in 2023 at the Barbasol Championship, becoming the first Swede to win on tour since Henrik Stenson at the 2017 Wyndham Championship.
He secured the prestigious Irish Open title on the DP World Tour in the same year, but it was his maiden victory on the US circuit that secured his place at Ponte Vedra this week and he told NCG about his excitement, and who he’s been leaning on to help with his game.
“It’s been great, the weather has been really good and I’m just enjoying it!” he said.
“I played it once in December, just on the way to see some friends and that was the first time io was here, and now in tournament conditions, it is quite different from like it was then, but it’s a tough track and enjoying it play.
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“Seeing the older guys (from Sweden) before us do it inspires us to want to do the same thing and be on the same journey and it’s a lot of fun to have them out here and learn from them. To represent your country is always special.
“Alex Noren has been my biggest idol growing up. He’s from the dame golf course back home and we grew up in the same area. He’s helped me since the early days by giving me advice and to play practice rounds and hang out with him out here is quite cool.”
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