Previewing the 2026 Players Championship

Victor Stephen
Rickie Fowler hands his putter to his caddy Ricky Romano on the tenth hole during the second round of the Players Championship

Golf’s best are preparing to square off at the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Play will commence March 12 on the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Unsurprisingly, the two top-ranked golfers in the world, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, are the betting favorites to claim the lucrative title at this year’s “fifth major.”

The World’s Top Players

Scheffler (United States) and McIlroy (Northern Ireland), the players ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Official World Ranking, are the betting favorites to win the tournament this year, with Scheffler’s odds at +500 and McIlroy at +1600.

Paired for the first two rounds with Tommy Fleetwood (from England; ranked No. 3 in the world) and Justin Thomas (United States; No. 14), Scheffler’s scheduled Thursday tee off is at 8:52 a.m. ET. McIlroy is paired with Xander Schauffele (United States; No. 10) and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan, No. 12), and is scheduled to tee off at 1:42 p.m. While the Scheffler group is slated to commence play on the 10th tee, the McIlroy group will start on the 1st tee.

Other featured opening-round pairings include Colin Morikawa (United States; No. 4), Ludwig Åberg (Sweden; No. 21), and Si Woo Kim (South Korea; No. 28), who launch their title quest on the 10th tee at 8:40 a.m. The trio of Viktor Hovland (Norway; No. 18), Russell Henley (United States; No. 6), and Robert MacIntyre (Scotland; No. 8) will get underway on the back side at 9:04 a.m.

Notably, two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (United States; No. 41) is ineligible to play in the PGA Tour’s flagship event due to his membership in the LIV Golf League.

Going For a Third Title

McIlroy is the reigning Players champion. Last year, he defeated J.J Spaun in the tournament’s unique three-hole aggregate playoff. The man from Hollywood, Northern Ireland, also won the title in 2019. Likewise, Scheffler is a two-time Players title holder, bringing home the tournament’s prestigious trophy in 2023 and 2024. Thus, the world’s top two players are both in pursuit of their third Players’ Championship.

McIlroy’s Injury Status

Some uncertainty surrounds McIlroy’s status for this tournament as he withdrew from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Fla., citing muscle spasms in his back. McIlroy pulled out of that tournament when he was preparing to play the third round after playing himself in contention with a 4-under-par 68 in the second round.

The persistence of those back spasms and resultant treatment has caused a delay in McIlroy’s arrival at TPC Sawgrass. The grand slam champion told the Golf Channel that he hopes to make it to Ponte Vedra by Wednesday.

The Richest Purse In Golf

The Players Championship venue boasts one of the most iconic holes in all of golf, the par-3 17th, with its dramatic island green. The tournament also features the PGA’s largest overall purse, a staggering $25 million. The winner’s prize is $4.5 million, while the runner-up will take home $2.725 million, and $1.725 million goes to the third-place finisher.

The opening field consists of 123 golfers. The top 65 players through 36 holes will qualify for the final two rounds.

Victor grew up in the Los Angeles area. He did his undergraduate studies at SMU and Penn State. He has extensive researching and writing experience. Victor now resides in the greater Sacramento area.