It’s been a hectic few weeks for Marc Leishman but the Victorian has shown some good form over the past fortnight and could be the surprise performer among the nine Australians teeing up at The Players this week.

The Victorian had an enforced jolt in perspective when his wife, Audrey, became gravely ill the week before the Masters and the 31-year-old has played with renewed freedom in his two tournaments since.
 
Though a little inconsistent at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans a fortnight ago Leishman was impressive in advancing to the round of 16 at last week’s WGC Match Play and his record at TPC Sawgrass suggests he has come to terms with the course.
 
After missing the cut the first two times he played Leishman has survived till the weekend in all three of his appearances since and two years ago finished in the top 10 for the first time.
 
TPC Sawgrass is a famously tricky layout with only four players winning The Players twice since it moved to the venue in 1982.
 
Few are able to consistently perform well on the exacting course where patience is key, a trait Leishman ha shown in abundance since returning to the Tour.
 
Considered by many to be the fifth most important championship in the game The Players attracts one of the best fields every year and only three Australians have captured the title in its 41-year history.
 
Steve Elkington is one of the four repeat winners with Greg Norman also triumphing in 1994 and Adam Scott victorious in 2004.
 
Scott will be under the spotlight over the first two days having been paired with Tiger Woods and defending champion Martin Kaymer and will no doubt be hoping for an improved performance on the greens after a dismal week at last week’s WGC Match Play.
 
The former World Number One never got to grips with the speed of the putting surfaces in losing three straight matches at Harding Park but should be more comfortable on the slicker greens of Sawgrass.

Win aside Scott has two other top-10 finishes at Sawgrass in 13 appearances though has only been inside the top-15 once since 2007.
 
Scott is yet to find his stride in the 2014/15 season after a late start because of the birth of daughter Bo but with some of the game’s bigger events on the horizon will now have a chance to get into a better rhythm.
 
Like Scott Jason Day will be disappointed with his effort at Harding Park last week where, as defending champion, he was considered one of the tournament favourites.
 
The Queenslander looked uncomfortable in finishing runner-up to Justin Rose at the prior week’s tournament in New Orleans and was lacklustre in posting three losses in the pool stages at the Match Play.
 
However, Day has built his career on performing his best at the most difficult tournaments and this week’s event unquestionably fits the bill.
 
The 26-year-old posted a T6 finish, still his best, in just his second appearance in 2011and was T19 last year.

Like most, though, the strength of field and tough course makes it difficult to consistently perform well here and he also has two missed cuts in his four tries.
 
John Senden, Steven Bowditch, Matt Jones, Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby round out the Australian campaign.
 
Aaron Baddeley has two top-10 finishes in his 11 tries at Sawgrass but has also missed the last three consecutive cuts.
 
John Senden has missed six cuts in 12 tries and has never finished in the top-20 though showed good form last week at the Matchplay and may surprise this week.
 
Geoff Ogilvy, Matt Jones and Steven Bowditch haven’t posted a top-10 between them while Robert Allenby finished runner-up in 2010 but is an unknown quantity coming off a withdrawal in New Orleans.

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