PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – At TPC Sawgrass, those few seconds when a ball is in the air are stressful enough under the gentlest conditions. The penalties are so severe – and the delineation between calamity and a safe landing is so sharp – that there is no serenity until the ball has arrived at its intended destination.

Add in the unpredictability of strong winds and TPC Sawgrass becomes borderline unbearable. The most well-executed shots are still left to the whims of random gusts and zepyhrs.

“The wind we're expecting to project the next two days is going to be one helluva challenge,” said Ponte Vedra Beach resident Billy Horschel, who shot 67-71 in the first two rounds. “You always want it to be tough, but when you start getting wind conditions like that, quality golf shots don't always turn out well.”

Saturday’s strongest winds are expected to hit TPC Sawgrass on Saturday afternoon, with gusts exceeding 30 mph. The strongest winds will come while the leaders are playing the back nine, including TPC Sawgrass’ treacherous closing holes. That aids the chances of those in the back of the pack, who can post a score before the worst winds hit.

The pursuers will be in the comfort of the clubhouse and their rental homes while the leaders are trying to judge the mercurial winds that swirl around the island green, a hole that requires an aerial approach. Unlike the links of Scotland, where low, running shots that evade the gusts are aided by the firm turf, the hazards that surround many of TPC Sawgrass’ greens require players to send the ball into the sky.

No one will be exempt from those conditions for the final round, though, as the wind is expected to persist for the entirety of Sunday. The wind will precede a cold front that could bring afternoon thunderstorms and potentially threaten THE PLAYERS’ scheduled finish. THE PLAYERS’ last Monday finish was three years ago, when weekend conditions may have offered a preview of what awaits for the remainder of this year’s tournament.

Some players compared Saturday’s potential forecast to THE PLAYERS 2022, when the first round was completed on a Saturday because of inclement weather. Those who returned Saturday morning struggled in the strong winds.

Ten of the 21 players who played the 17th that morning to complete their first round found the water. When the second round was halted by darkness later that day, the average score was 75.4. The 17th was playing to a 3.7 scoring average and 18 was averaging more than a stroke over par.

Justin Thomas said Friday he was “excited” when he saw this weekend’s forecast. His 69 in that second round three years ago was one of just two sub-70 rounds posted before play was suspended for darkness.

“This course is just so unique, and I've always liked it,” said Thomas, who started this year’s PLAYERS with rounds of 78 and a course-record-tying 62. “I've always loved it since I first played it because I just think that, you look at guys' scorecards, the volatility, … you can make so many birdies … but you can make a double so fast out here if you get it out of position or just don't hit the ball where you should.

“When the wind comes out, it just amplifies it.”

Saturday’s winds may not be quite as strong as three years ago, but still will present sufficient difficulty. There also is one big difference between this weekend’s wind and the strong breezes that blew three years ago. This year, the wind is expected to come from the southeast, which means Nos. 17 and 18 will play downwind. Those holes were into the wind on that Saturday three years ago.

Rules officials have informed players that there would be adjustments to course setup to ensure that TPC Sawgrass remains playable in the high winds, said Stephen Cox, the PGA TOUR’s vice president, rules and tournament administration. Balls being unable to remain stationary on putting surfaces leads to play being suspended.

“We are taking measures to slow these greens down to make sure we don’t have balls moving on greens,” said Cox, who noted that the setup team did not plan to mow the greens Friday night. The greens will be kept slower than normal because of the Saturday and Sunday forecast.

Some hole locations also would be adjusted, with some of the traditional weekend locations used during the more benign conditions on Thursday and Friday. For example, the hole location on 17 will be on the back shelf on a Saturday for the first time since 2007, Cox said. A front-hole location is traditionally used in THE PLAYERS third round to encourage more birdies.

Birdies won’t be biggest story Saturday. The degree of difficulty at a blustery TPC Sawgrass will be. Buckle up.