What is the largest margin of victory at The Players Championship?

During the early stages of every season, the golfing world converges at Sawgrass for the unofficial fifth major: The Players Championship.

Across the past 49 tournaments, a slew of superstars have saluted on the final day after navigating island greens and the beating Florida sun.

However, only one of these champions has recorded the largest margin of victory in tournament history.

That honour remains with Steve Elkington after the Australian finished at -16 to claim the 1997 Players Championship, seven strokes ahead of American Scott Hoch (-9).

With rounds of 66-69-68-69, Elkington took only 272 strokes in his journey from the 1st tee box to the podium.

The previous tournament record was set and shared by both Lenny Wadkins in 1979 and Nick Price in 1993 who both finished five strokes ahead of Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer respectively.

In the years since the Australian conquered all before him, the closest any golfers have come to eclipsing Elkington arose in 2003 when Davis Love III won by six strokes over Jay Haas and Pádraig Harrington, and then again in 2006 when Canadian Steve Ames held off South African Retief Goosen by the same margin.