Players Championship 2019: A closer look at the new Players trophy

Sunday at the Players Championship will be a little different this year. In addition to landing on a new non-Mother’s Day date to the tune of a refreshed theme song and $500,000 added to the now $12.4 million purse, a brand new trophy will be awarded to the winner.

Replacing the Waterford Crystal that has been given out since 1982 is a sterling silver and 24k gold vermeil trophy, custom-designed by Tiffany & Co. The trophy is modeled after the PGA Tour logo that has become synonymous with the Players. The swinging golfer is placed atop the iconic No. 17 island green at TPC Sawgrass. Looking into the trophy, the carefully designed texture of the water around the peninsula and the signature Pete Dye pilings are evident. Designers made the trophy using 3D technology and a luxe precious metal layering process called electroforming.

The face of the trophy is merged from the faces of the 38 different winners of the Players including Jack Nicklaus, who won it first in 1974 and then again in 1976 and 1978, two-time winner Tiger Woods (2001, 2013) and the most recent champion, Webb Simpson (2018).

“You want the trophy to tell a story,” Dean Jansen, senior director at Tiffany & Co. said. “So whether it is about the athlete, the equipment they use, or the location, the key is to get the spirit of victory—that is the ultimate prize.”

The new trophy will stand 17 inches tall, just shy of eight inches in diameter and weigh 7.6 pounds. There will be a larger replica version of the trophy that will live on display year-round at TPC Sawgrass.

The redesign is a part of a total rebranding of the tournament with its return to March on the PGA Tour calendar.

“I love that [the trophy] is gold and there is no other championship of significance that gives gold,” Jared Rice, executive director of the Players Championship said. “[With] the tournament moving to a March date and our recognition of the swinging golfer appearing in gold being unique and distinct to our tournament made this the right time, the right year to debut what we feel is a very fitting recognition of our champion.”

This isn’t the first Tiffany & Co. trophy on the PGA tour, the company also designed the trophies for the FedEx Cup, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Charles Schwab Cup Championship and Northern Trust.