Paul McGinley analyses the mental side of tackling TPC Sawgrass

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is a huge test of mental strength and versatility, and Paul McGinley details the assets required to win The Players Championship.

I think the biggest challenge at The Players Championship is the variety of shots that you’re asked to play around Sawgrass. You can’t use driver all the time, there are a number of doglegs in each direction, you have island greens, tough par-fours, easy par-fours and small greens with severe slopes.

There is a large skill set required to play well here, particularly at this time of year. When I played, the tournament was in March and conditions were much softer. And when that is the case, the course tends to play easier.

But we’ve had a good run of weather and the Stadium Course is playing firm and fast, and that’s when the course is at its toughest.

This is a tournament where good, sensible course management is crucial. Length is always important, and it’s obviously an advantage if you’re going into some of these greens with as much loft as possible.

The 12th is going to be an interesting test again this year. Last year, 30 per cent of the field went for the green, but the hole has been changed again and I’d expect more to give it a crack this week.

But I like to see a golf course that is set up to bring everybody into the equation. Sawgrass does not suit any one particular style of player, but it does suit those who have versatility.

The guys who have the ability to play an array of different shots and make good decisions will do well here. And when you bring all that together, it makes it extremely tough to predict a winner.

All the winners of The Players Championship over the years have displayed a sound temperament, and the game at this level is as much of a mental test as it is a test of technique.

Having that extra confidence, and mental poise, is ultimately the difference between winning and losing – especially on Sunday evening.

The Stadium Course underwent a significant overhaul after the 2016 event with all the greens relaid and a few tweaks in the overall design. And the same happened at Wentworth, home of the BMW PGA Championship.

The players now enjoy better-quality surfaces, particularly when putting, and Sawgrass is not the monster course it used to be. If there’s no wind, you will see scores in the mid-60s.

It’s a similar situation at Wentworth, which has been restored back in line with the original design by Harry Colt, and the condition of the West Course is now at an incredibly high level.

But when you compare Sawgrass to Wentworth, which one is better if you need a par to win on the 72nd hole? I’d rather be on the 18th at Wentworth – it’s a par-five so it’s a piece of cake!

The finishing hole at Sawgrass is a real test of nerve, and much depends on the direction of the wind. When Rickie Fowler won in 2015, we saw him sling a high draw riding on the wind down the 18th fairway and he left himself a mere clip with a wedge for his second.

But if the breeze is coming in from the left, it’s a much more demanding tee shot and approach, and we’ll see a number of players unable to go for the green if they leak their drives too far right.

It’s one of the great final holes in golf, and I look forward to seeing how the elite players handle the challenge over the week.

(c) Sky News 2018: Paul McGinley analyses the mental side of tackling TPC Sawgrass