1977 Tournament Players Championship
The 1977 Tournament Players Championship was a golf tournament in Florida on the PGA Tour, held March 17–20 at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, southeast of Jacksonville. The fourth Tournament Players Championship, it was the first of five consecutive at Sawgrass, which had agreed a multi-year with the PGA Tour in 1976.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | March 17–20, 1977 |
| Location | Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 30.189°N 81.370°W |
| Course(s) | Sawgrass Country Club, East-West course |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,174 yards (6,560 m) |
| Field | 140 players, 79 after cut |
| Cut | 155 (+11) |
| Prize fund | $300,000 |
| Winner's share | $60,000 |
| Champion | |
| Mark Hayes | |
| 289 (+1) | |
| Location map | |
Sawgrass CC Location in the United States Sawgrass CC Location in Florida | |
Mark Hayes was the champion in windy conditions at 289 (+1), two strokes ahead of runner-up Mike McCullough. McCullough and Tom Watson were the co-leaders after the third round, with Hayes a stroke back. Defending champion Jack Nicklaus finished four strokes back, in a tie for fifth place.
Bob Menne set the tour's 72-hole record for fewest putts with 99, but tied for 47th at 303 (+15). The record had been 102 putts, by Bert Yancey in 1966 at his victory in the final Portland Open Invitational.