1976 Tournament Players Championship

1976 Tournament Players Championship
Tournament information
Dates	February 26 – ; March 1, 1976
Location	Lauderhill, Florida, U.S.; 26°10′23″N 80°14′10″W / 26.173°N 80.236°W
Course(s)	Inverrary Country Club; East Course
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Statistics
Par	72
Length	7,128 yards (6,518 m)
Field	143 players, 81 after cut
Cut	145 (+1)
Prize fund	$300,000
Winner's share	$60,000
Champion
	Jack Nicklaus
	269 (−19)
Location map
	Inverrary CC Location in the United States Inverrary CC Location in Florida
	← 1975 1977 →

The 1976 Tournament Players Championship was a golf tournament in Florida on the PGA Tour, held February 26 to March 1 at Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill, northwest of Fort Lauderdale. This was the third Tournament Players Championship;^[3] Jack Nicklaus won his second title, three strokes ahead of runner-up J. C. Snead,^[2]^[4] similar to his 1974 win.

Saturday was washed out by a thunderstorm; the third round was on Sunday and the final round on Monday.^[5]^[6]

Defending champion Al Geiberger finished fifteen strokes back, in a tie for 24th place.

The first two editions had been played in late summer, after the major championships; this year's began in late February. This was the final year the Tournament Players Championship name was attached to an established PGA Tour event.^[1]

Venue

This was the only Tournament Players Championship held in south Florida; the first was in Georgia and the second in Texas. It relocated to northeast Florida at Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977, where it became a standalone event for the first time. The Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, which is currently played in the Palm Beach area since 2003, was originally hosted by Inverrary from 1972 through 1983. The tournament recognises the 1976 Players Championship winner as a winner of their tournament, as from 1974-76, an established tournament was given the title with special qualifications.

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, February 26, 1976
Friday, February 27, 1976

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Fred Marti	66	−6
T1	Jack Nicklaus	66	−6
T3	Barry Jaeckel	67	−5
	Don January
	J. C. Snead
	Tom Watson
T7	George Burns	68	−4
	Dale Douglass
	Bob Gilder
	John Mahaffey
	Ed Sneed

Source:^[7]

Second round

Friday, February 27, 1976

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Don January	67-68=135	−9
T2	Jack Nicklaus	66-70=136	−8
T2	J. C. Snead	67-69=136	−8
T4	Jim Masserio	69-68=137	−7
T4	Tom Watson	67-70=137	−7
T6	Butch Baird	71-67=138	−6
	George Burns	71-67=138
	Dale Douglass	68-70=138
	Mark Hayes	71-67=138
	Hale Irwin	70-68=138

Source:^[8]

Third round

Saturday, February 28, 1976
Sunday, February 29, 1976

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Jack Nicklaus	66-70-68=204	−12
T1	J. C. Snead	67-69-68=204	−12
T3	Roger Maltbie	70-70-65=205	−11
T3	Mark Hayes	71-67-67=205	−11
5	Tom Watson	67-70-70=207	−9
T6	Hale Irwin	70-68-70=208	−8
T6	Don January	67-68-73=208	−8
8	Jim Masserio	69-68-72=209	−7
T9	Butch Baird	71-67-72=210	−6
T9	Bob Payne	69-70-71=210	−6

Source:^[9]

Final round

Monday, March 1, 1976

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Jack Nicklaus	66-70-68-65=269	−19	60,000
2	J. C. Snead	67-69-68-68=272	−16	34,200
T3	Roger Maltbie	70-70-65-71=276	−12	17,700
T3	Jim Masserio	69-68-72-67=276	−12	17,700
5	Mark Hayes	71-67-67-72=277	−11	12,300
6	Lee Elder	69-72-70-67=278	−10	10,800
T7	Butch Baird	71-67-72-70=280	−8	9,225
T7	Don January	67-68-73-72=280	−8	9,225
T9	David Graham	70-71-71-69=281	−7	7,500
	Gary Player	73-70-71-67=281
	Tom Watson	67-70-70-74=281

Source:^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b Martz, Ron (February 26, 1976). "Golf pros create true tourney of champions". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). p. 9C.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Nicklaus' seven-under 65 plenty adequate for title". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 2, 1976. p. 15.
^ Biggers, Don (June 23, 1974). "Move over 'big four,' here comes another". Rome News-Tribune. (Georgia). p. 1C.
^ "Jack quiets cynics, wins TPC golf". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. March 2, 1976. p. 1, sec. 4.
^ "Showers postpone TPC". Chicago Tribune. UPI. February 29, 1976. p. 9, sec. 3.
^ "Thunderstorm puts TPC back a day". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 29, 1976. p. 8C.
^ "Marti, Nicklaus share top spot". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 27, 1976. p. 4C.
^ "January captures Players golf lead". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 28, 1976. p. 3B.
^ "A replay of 1974 Players". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 1, 1976. p. 2C.

External links

[trutor-1] Martz, Ron (February 26, 1976). "Golf pros create true tourney of champions". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). p. 9C.

[srsvnun-2] "Nicklaus' seven-under 65 plenty adequate for title". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 2, 1976. p. 15.

[hcmsanr-3] Biggers, Don (June 23, 1974). "Move over 'big four,' here comes another". Rome News-Tribune. (Georgia). p. 1C.

[ctjck-4] "Jack quiets cynics, wins TPC golf". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. March 2, 1976. p. 1, sec. 4.

[ctspptp-5] "Showers postpone TPC". Chicago Tribune. UPI. February 29, 1976. p. 9, sec. 3.

[tsputbk-6] "Thunderstorm puts TPC back a day". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 29, 1976. p. 8C.

[mnshtopsp-7] "Marti, Nicklaus share top spot". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 27, 1976. p. 4C.

[jcpgl-8] "January captures Players golf lead". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 28, 1976. p. 3B.

[replaysvf-9] "A replay of 1974 Players". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 1, 1976. p. 2C.

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