(Reuters) - American Rickie Fowler heads into his title defense at this week's Players Championship on the ultra challenging layout at the TPC Sawgrass well aware that no one has ever won the prestigious tournament in consecutive seasons. Part of the reason for this is the combination of a difficult course, a brutal three-hole closing stretch and the strongest field in golf at the PGA Tour's flagship event, which is widely regarded as the unofficial fifth major. This week's field is as potent as ever with 29 of the game's top 30 golfers set to tee off in Thursday's opening round on the par-72 Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
