There are many trophies in golf that every player is desperate to own.
From the Claret Jug to the Wanamaker, the game’s greatest players have got their hands on the most iconic prizes in the game.
One of these coveted items is The Players Championship trophy which has shape-shifted several times since the tournament was first played in 1974.
The current trophy is made of gold and sterling silver and has been used since Rory McIlroy won at TPC Sawgrass in 2019. It is the trophy that Scottie Scheffler won for the second time in a row in 2024, something no player had done before at the Players Championship.
But how did the trophy reach the form it’s in now? How did the current design develop after years of experimenting?
Let us take you through a brief history of The Players Championship trophy…
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A history of the Players Championship golf trophy
The Players Championship trophy has taken several different forms in the tournament’s history.
Between 1974 and 1981, the winners received a type of plaque which was known as the Joseph C. Dey Junior trophy. Jack Nicklaus won the first edition when it was named the Tournament Players Championship.
After the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was named the host venue in 1982, the trophy was now a black slab which featured a golfer and trees on it.
But because this was deemed unsuitable to be presented in prize presentations, this now has pride of place in the halls of TPC Sawgrass.
The trophy completely changed to an alternative – a crystal trophy that was first won by Jerry Pate who celebrated by jumping into the water by the 18th green with course designer Pete Dye and former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman.
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The crystal trophy was kept until 2018 when Webb Simpson won The Players, but when McIlroy won for the first time on the hallowed turf in Florida, the winner’s prize was changed for a fourth time.
The new and current trophy is mightily impressive in both its look and how it was crafted. Using a process called electroforming, Tiffany & Co. and the PGA Tour aimed to produce an item that resembled a swinging golfer similar to the circuit’s very own logo.
The trophy incorporates parts of every winner of The Players Championship. Electroforming uses an electric current to build layers of metal around a core to form a smooth surface.
The design also sees the golfer standing upon a replica of the 17th hole island green – a hole that has developed into one of the most famous landmarks in the sport.
It features a mix of sterling silver and 24k gold vermeil. The trophy is seven and three-quarters of an inch wide and 17 inches tall with 7.6 pounds in weight.
So if you are asked which player proudly stands on The Players Championship trophy, the answer is: There are many!
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NOW READ: How Jerry Pate ignored the noise surrounding Sawgrass to win The Players
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