Carl braced for tough test despite 'home' advantage
China's Carl Yuan Yechun probably knows every blade of grass at The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, but when he makes his debut at The Players Championship on Thursday he will be treating the golf course with every due respect in his hopes for a strong showing.
The 26-year-old Yuan will become only the third Chinese mainland golfer after Li Haotong (2018, 2019) and Zhang Xinjun (2021) to compete in the PGA Tour's flagship $25 million tournament which celebrates its 50th anniversary this week.
It will feel like a "home" game for Yuan who has lived in nearby Jacksonville, Florida for the past five years and practices at TPC Sawgrass, which is home to The Players.
"I practice here almost every day. I've watched The Players for so many years on TV and this week I am here in the field as a player. I'm fully prepared for the event, and I hope to play well," said Yuan on Wednesday.
While he has regularly shot rounds of 6-under or 7-under during practice at the Stadium Course, which is regarded as one of the purest tests in the game, the likeable Chinese fully knows the Pete Dye-designed venue will be a different animal when the first round begins on Thursday. He is paired with England's Aaron Rai and Michael Kim of the US.
"I've found the course conditions to be different this week. The rough is thicker and the green speed is so much quicker. It'll be challenging and key around here is always driving accuracy and approach shots. There are a lot of hazards around the greens and it'll be a test," said Yuan.
He began his second full season on the PGA Tour this year in strong fashion in January, finishing tied fourth at the Sony Open in Hawaii but was later hampered by a wrist injury last month which saw him withdraw in Phoenix and finish in a tie for 52nd in Mexico, before missing the cut at his last start, the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches.
"My wrist is all recovered … it won't affect me this week," said Yuan.
"This week, I need to find my own pace and do my best. I will not think about the other players. I am super excited to play alongside so many big names and test how good I am against this field.
"I have not set any goal for myself as I don't want to put pressure on myself. I will have an objective for every shot, every day."
Aside from his wife, Cathy Luo, Yuan will have the support of a special Chinese fan, who will certainly be difficult to miss among the large galleries at TPC Sawgrass. Former Chinese NBA player, Yi Jianlian — who stands almost seven feet (over 2 meters) tall — is in town and caught up with Yuan on Wednesday. They even played one hole together at the neighboring Dye's Valley course at TPC Sawgrass.
Among other things, they chatted about how they handle the pressure of competition and overcome challenges associated with being a professional athlete. Yi played for four different teams in the NBA — the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks — between 2007 and 2012.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler will defend his title at TPC Sawgrass this week against a stacked field which includes 47 of the world's top-50 players. The winner will earn $4.5 million and 750 FedExCup points.
No one has ever won back-to-back Players titles, but Scheffler looks better equipped than most to become the first.
He arrives at Sawgrass straight from a dominant performance to win by five shots at Bay Hill, and the 27-year-old has been No 1 for the last 10 months. Along with three victories in the last year, he has finished out of the top 10 only three times in 22 tournaments.
