FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, March 11th, 2023

NOTES AND QUOTES – THE 2023 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP ON NBC AND PEACOCK (THIRD ROUND)

“This will be the most fun walk of his life…look at the crowd. It’s like he hit a home run to win the game.” – Brad Faxon on Aaron Rai’s Hole-In-One on 17th Hole

“What we are seeing right now from Scottie Scheffler is just about as good as golf can get.” – Brandel Chamblee on Live From The PLAYERS

“You want to talk about swagger? This kid has got it.” – Notah Begay III on Min Woo Lee

I might have a clear shot to actually go for it in two…I don’t see why not, we only live once.” – Ben Griffin During Live Walk-And-Talk Interview on 11th Hole with NBC Broadcast

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 11, 2023 – NBC Sports presented exclusive third round coverage of The PLAYERS Championship from The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., on NBC and Peacock. Golf Central Live From The PLAYERS followed with post-round coverage.

Final round coverage on NBC and Peacock begins Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Pre-game coverage on Live From The PLAYERS begins at 9 a.m. ET on GOLF Channel and Peacock.

Mike Tirico hosted coverage while Dan Hicks handled play-by-play duties and Paul Azinger served as analyst. Curt Byrum and Brad Faxon called holes while John Wood, Notah Begay III and Smylie Kaufman served as on-course reporters. Damon Hack handled reports and interviews.

Live third round coverage included a live walk-and-talk interview with Ben Griffin as he played the par-5 11th hole.

Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley anchored Live From The PLAYERS post-round coverage. Following are notes and quotes from today’s coverage.

 

PLAYERS Championship – Third Round Leaderboard

Player Total
Scottie Scheffler -14
Min Woo Lee -12
Cam Davis -10
Tommy Fleetwood -9
Aaron Rai -9
Chad Ramey -9
Christiaan Bezuidenhout -9

 

ON THIRD ROUND SCORING CONDITIONS

Paul Azinger: “The course is ripe for the taking. The holes are cut in low spots, it’s kind of like 4th of July fireworks in March right now.”

Brandel Chamblee on Live From: “This was great theater. This is the stuff that sports fans love…it was a red letter day, a red number day…this is one of the days that the sports fans here will not soon forget.”

ON SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER (-14, Leader)

Chamblee on Live From: “A lot of back and forth over the past few months on who is the best player in the game – is it Rahm, is it McIlroy? We might walk out of here tomorrow with our answer and it could be Scottie Scheffler…what we are seeing right now from Scottie Scheffler is just about as good as golf can get.”

Paul McGinley on Live From: “We’ve seen a big improvement in his driving this year…the sereneness about how he plays. It’s going to take a lot to shake him tomorrow. That CV is building.”

ON MIN WOO LEE (-12, 2nd)

Azinger: “This guy is really letting it rip. In the commercial break, Notah Begay said to us, ‘I’m getting to watch a show today.’”

Notah Begay III: “You want to talk about swagger? This kid has got it. He’s playing with a lot of commitment and that’s a tough place to get to, everyone out here is trying to get there. When you find it, you’ve got to hold onto it as long as you can.”

Chamblee on Live From: “Explosive player. He’s got plenty of speed, but there’s more to him – he’s really got it all, he doesn’t have a weakness…he’s got every shot in the book.”

ON AARON RAI (-9, T-4th)

Brad Faxon on Rai’s hole-in-one on the 17th hole: “What a scene! You can’t watch these enough. A standing ovation for Aaron Rai…this will be the most fun walk of his life…look at the crowd. It’s like he hit a home run to win the game.”

Dan Hicks: “Fred Couples was the first to do it and he wore no gloves. Now we have ‘Two Gloves Rai.’”

ON BEN GRIFFIN (-6, T-14th)

Griffin to Hicks during his live interview while walking up the 11th hole: “You picked a good hole, I’ve played it +1 this week so far so hopefully I can learn something from you guys on how to play it…it looks like I might have a clear shot to actually go for it in two…I don’t see why not, we only live once.”

ON CHAD RAMEY (-9, T-4th)

Azinger: “You have to be impressed with Chad Ramey. After making a seven (on No. 17 in the second round), he’s still right there with a chance to win.”

–NBC SPORTS–