"You have got the greatest championship in the game, and you have got the best player in the world right there on my tail," he said. "That doesn't mean he is going to win tomorrow, even though everybody else in the world is trying to figure out a way for him to go ahead and do it." Woods was clearly amused by all the posturing. He dismissed Sutton's bragging about L.A. as "spin" and said of the impending final round, "I'm going to go out there and play my own game, and we'll see what happens. Obviously Hal may think a little differently. That's fine. He needs to motivate himself the way he needs to motivate himself."
On Sunday, Woods looked like he was up to his usual high jinks, making an effortless birdie on the 1st hole to tie for the lead. Sutton, however, refused to back down. On the par-5 2nd he blew his drive well past Woods's—"and he hit driver, by the way," Sutton would say later. Neither player made birdie, but Woods blinked first by taking sloppy bogeys at the 3rd and 4th holes. Sutton was merciless, grinding out one fairway-and-green par after another. On the 11th hole he ran in a big-breaking 25-footer for birdie to stretch his lead to three strokes, and then, as he stood in the middle of the next fairway, a thunderstorm struck with enough force to postpone the conclusion of the round until Monday morning. Sutton picked up right where he left off, churning out par after flawless par, while Woods was unable to summon the sort of Monday magic he flashed at Pebble Beach, where he came from seven behind to win.
He began the morning with a three-putt at the 12th hole to drop to four back, then made it interesting by birdieing the 13th and making an eagle at the par-5 16th to move to within a stroke heading into the scariest little hole in golf. Sutton had no trouble at 17 this time, thanks to an absence of wind and a marshmellowy green. Woods matched Sutton's par, so one stroke still separated them as they played the exacting, 440-yard 18th. After Tiger missed the green with his approach, Sutton nailed a six-iron from 179 yards to within eight feet to lock up the victory, his most eloquent statement of the week.
For his efforts Sutton collected $1.08 million of the $6 million purse, the richest in history, and earned something that may be more valuable—Woods's respect. "He's always been a great competitor," Woods said. "Keep grinding it out, keep fighting—that's the way Hal plays."
Sutton had plenty of kind words for Woods when it was finally over, wryly pointing out, "It's O.K. to praise him now." Still, he couldn't resist a couple more jabs. "Tiger Woods is not bigger than the game," Sutton said. "The other night I was lying in bed and I said, 'You know what? I'm not praying to him. He's not a god. He's human just like I am, so we can do this.' "
Sutton's belief in the frailty of even the very best players comes from personal experience. From 1982 to '86 he was one of the game's most overpowering performers, winning seven tournaments, including the Players and the PGA Championship in 1983, the year he finished atop the money list. Sutton fell into the abyss in the late '80s, and by 1992 he could do no better than 185th on the money list, making only eight of 29 cuts. He has resurrected his game by returning to the simple swing keys of his youth while dramatically upgrading his play around the greens and his course management. He has also settled into a contented domesticity with his fourth wife, Ashley, and their three daughters. (The highlight of Sutton's week in Ponte Vedra wasn't the victory. It was watching his year-old twins, Sara and Sadie, take their first steps, on Friday evening.) Sutton looks like he's ready to nab another major, but don't expect it to happen at next week's Masters. Amazingly, he hasn't made the cut at Augusta since 1985.
Woods has had a bit more success there, and he left the Players revved up about the Masters. "My game is very solid right now," he said. "Believe me, I'm ready." There is no question that Woods is still the prohibitive favorite at Augusta, and rightfully so, but Sutton's performance will resonate. He kicked sand in the face of the bully, scoring a victory not only for himself but for every player who will have to tangle with Woods down the road.
