1988 Players Championship

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox individual golf tournament

| name = 1988 Players Championship

| image =

| dates = March 24–27, 1988

| location = Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

| course = TPC Sawgrass,
Stadium Course

| tour = PGA Tour

| par = 72

| yardage = {{convert|6857|yd}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KUxPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9QIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3987%2C1523265 |work=Toledo Blade |location=(Ohio)|agency=Associated Press |title=PGA Players |date=March 28, 1988 |page=27 }}

| field = 144 players, 72 after cut

| cut = 146 (+2)

| purse = $1.25 million

| winners_share = $225,000

| champion = {{flagicon|USA}} Mark McCumber

| score = 273 (−15)

| map = USA#USA Florida

| map_relief = yes

| map_label = TPC Sawgrass

| map_caption = Location in the United States##Location in Florida

| coordinates = {{coord|30.198|N|81.394|W|type:event|display=inline,title}}

| previous = 1987

| next = 1989

}}

The 1988 Players Championship was a golf tournament in Florida on the PGA Tour, held {{nowrap|March 24–27}} at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, southeast of Jacksonville. It was the fifteenth Players Championship and the first without "Tournament" in the title.

Local resident Mark McCumber opened with 65 and won with 273 (−15), four strokes ahead of runner-up Mike Reid.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jPJVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7040%2C6719358 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon)|agency=Associated Press |title=McCumber wins emotional 'major' |date=March 28, 1988 |page=2B}}{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1988/03/28/page/29/article/mccumber-brings-tpc-home |work=Chicago Tribune |last=Hanley |first=Reid |title=McCumber brings TPC home |date=March 28, 1988 |page=5, sec. 3}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1988/04/04/117434/mark-him-well-mark-mccumber-won-the-players-championship-in-his-own-backyard |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Diaz |first=Jaime |title=Mark him well |date=April 4, 1988 |page=32}} McCumber's {{nowrap|72-hole}} score at the Stadium Course set a record; it was equaled in 1992 and broken in 1993.

Jay Haas was disqualified on Thursday after playing with a bent putter.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ifJVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2459%2C5636783 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon)|agency=(Los Angeles Times)|title=Haas disqualified for using bent putter |date=March 25, 1988 |page=2B}} Davis Love III had a similar occurrence on Friday, while Curtis Strange reported that he signed an incorrect {{nowrap|scorecard.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ivJVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6551%2C5952140|work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon)|agency=(Los Angeles Times) |title=Two more out over bent club, bad scorecard |date=March 26, 1988 |page=7C}}}} (Strange won the next two U.S. Opens.)

Weather delays on Saturday caused the leaders to complete only a few holes of the third round; play was resumed early on Sunday morning.{{cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1988/03/27/page/50/article/golf |work=Chicago Tribune |last=Hanley |first=Reid |title=Pohl has 1-shot lead in rain-delayed TPC |date=March 27, 1988 |page=12, sec. 3}}

Defending champion Sandy Lyle missed the 36-hole cut by six strokes, and the purse was increased 25% this year to $1.25 million.