The Players Championship: Top 50 golfers ranked by who can win

The best players on the PGA Tour head to Northeast Florida for The Players Championship, long heralded as the biggest tournament of the year outside of the four majors.

Some have labeled The Players as the ‘fifth major,’ with Brandel Chamblee of the Golf Channel advocating for that distinction in recent years. Regardless of what moniker it receives, The Players is unlike any other event. It features a 144-man field year-in and year-out and is contested every year at TPC Sawgrass, a course where water comes into play on 17 of 18 holes. Ball-striking is critical, accuracy even more so. But it’s a course that forces the player to think, as trouble lurks almost everywhere.

The famous par-3 17th, and its island green, receives all the glory. But the par-5 16th and closing par-4 18th are just as pivotal.

Look no further than last year’s tournament, which saw Scottie Scheffler go on a historic Sunday charge. He stormed back from a five-shot deficit and conquered TPC Sawgrass for a second straight year. After going out with a 5-under 31, Scheffler continued to tear up the back nine with birdies at the 11th, 12th, and 16th holes, the latter of which jumped him up to 20-under par. Meanwhile, his closest pursuers, Xander Schauffele, Brian Harman, and Wyndham Clark, could not catch him down the stretch. Schauffele could not birdie the 17th or 18th holes, and Harman made three straight pars on the final three holes to remain at 19-under. Clark, meanwhile, birdied the 16th and 17th to get to 19-under, but his birdie attempt on the last lipped-out in heartbreaking fashion, handing Scheffler the one-shot victory.

As for this year’s tournament, 48 of the top-50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings will tee it up at TPC Sawgrass this week. A former LIV golfer, Laurie Canter, is also in the field, marking the first Players Championship to feature an ex-LIV Golf player. But sadly, Tiger Woods, a two-time champion, is not.

Top 50 Golfers at 2025 Players Championship:

Odds provided by FanDuel.

50. Jordan Spieth

After not receiving a sponsor’s exemption to compete in last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, Jordan Spieth arrives at TPC Sawgrass hungry and in search of a first Players Championship title. Spieth has shown flashes of brilliance so far this season, whether it be his par save on the 11th hole at TPC Scottsdale or his top-10 finish at the Cognizant Classic. His wrist seems fully healthy, too, which is a welcome sight considering the bulk of major championship season is around the corner. However, Spieth has not played consistently in 2025, which aligns with his history at The Players. He has made only four cuts in his 11 starts.

Best Finish: T-4 (2014)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +6500

49. Davis Thompson

Ever since he held the 36-hole lead at the Genesis Invitational, Davis Thompson’s average score has been 72.5. He has posted only one sub-70 round while missing two cuts. He has hit the ball well off the tee, but has struggled with his iron play, ranking 146th on tour in strokes gained approach. The putter has let him down too.

Best Finish: 68 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +12000

48. Matt Fitzpatrick

After laboring to a 6-over 78 on Day One, Fitzpatrick rallied over his final 54 holes to post a T-22 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his best result of the season. He led the field in strokes gained putting, but that has long been one of his strong suits. The Englishman has struggled for the past year, looking like a shell of the player who won the 2022 U.S. Open and made the 2023 Ryder Cup team. With Fitzpatrick currently residing outside the top-50 in the world, he is on the outside looking in as it relates to this year’s team at Bethpage. That could all change quickly though. He did finish solo fifth at TPC Sawgrass last year.

Best Finish: 5 (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +11000

Photo by James Gilbert/PGA Tour via Getty Images

47. Taylor Pendrith

Back-to-back missed cuts to open the Florida Swing have dropped Pendrith farther down these rankings. He has two top-10s this season, both of which came in California at the Farmers Insurance Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. But the putter has gone ice cold since then. He is currently 159th on tour in strokes gained putting but is eighth on tour in strokes gained from tee-to-green! Pendrith is fourth in total driving, third in strokes gained off the tee, and fourth in greens in regulation percentage. If he can figure out his putting, the front page of the leaderboard will include Pendrith’s name again.

Best Finish: T-13 (2022)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +10000

46. J.T. Poston

After missing the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii, J.T. Poston has rattled off five straight made cuts, highlighted by a T-12 finish at The American Express and a T-16 in Phoenix. The Western Carolina product has struggled with his putting, though, ranking 176th on tour from inside of 10 feet. He is also 168th in three-putt avoidance. Despite that, Poston is 30th in strokes gained around the greens and 50th in strokes gained overall.

Best Finish: T-22 (2019, 2021)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +11000

45. Thomas Detry

Thomas Detry missed his first cut of the season last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, as a double-bogey on the 18th hole sent him home early. But Detry should not sulk too much on that missed opportunity. He picked up his first career win at TPC Scottsdale and has put forth a solid season, which also includes a T-5 and a T-15. He should be a part of the European Ryder Cup discussion, as he ranks among the top 15 on tour in putting.

Best Finish: T-62 (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +12000

44. Nick Taylor

‘Mr. Playoff’ won the Sony Open in Hawaii and since then, has finished no worse than T-33. Taylor’s approach play has been otherworldly this season, as he is fourth on tour in strokes gained approach. He is also accurate off the tee, ranking 13th in driving accuracy percentage. Granted, he’s not the longest of hitters, but considering Taylor’s clutch genes, iron-play, and accuracy, he could very well become the second Canadian to win The Players this week.

Best Finish: T-16 (2019)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +12000

43. Patrick Rodgers

After missing the cut at the WM Phoenix Open, Patrick Rodgers went to San Diego and held the 54-hole lead at the Genesis Invitational. He could only muster a 1-under 71 on Sunday though, as Ludvig Åberg passed him by for the win. But Rodgers still tied for third, relying heavily on his driving and putting that week to put him in a position to try and snag his first PGA Tour title. If those two facets of his game show up again this week, he can make a run. Rodgers has a T-23, T-18, and a T-22 since Torrey Pines.

Best Finish: T-65 (2021)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +17000

42. Sahith Theegala

Sahith Theegala is a shot-maker with an extraordinary imagination. He can hit it high, low, left-to-right or right-to-left. But Theegala has been in trouble all too often, which explains why he has not yet posted a top-10 this season. He makes a bogey 16.67% of the time, which ranks 136th on the tour. He is also 132nd in bounce back percentage, meaning he responds to a bogey with a birdie just 18.57% of the time. With trouble all around TPC Sawgrass, it would be a bit of a surprise to see Theegala towards the top of the leaderboard this week, given how his season has played out. Then again, he tied for ninth at TPC Sawgrass last year.

Best Finish: T-9 (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +10000

41. Justin Rose

Justin Rose has made four starts on the PGA Tour this season, posting a pair of top 10s all while missing the cut twice. His short game has looked terrific, as evidenced by his strokes gained numbers. Rose is 11th in putting and 33rd in strokes gained around the greens. The Englishman is also eighth in putts per round and seventh in one-putt percentage. But it all comes down to iron play for the 2013 U.S. Open winner. If he is having a good ball-striking week, Rose contends. His T-8 at Bay Hill is proof of that. On the flip side, he misses the cut if he fails to give himself opportunities. TPC Sawgrass is a ball-strikers course, so Rose needs a good week from the fairway to jockey for a title.

Best Finish: T-4 (2014)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +12000

40. Min Woo Lee

The electrifying Aussie has so much flair in his game, whether off the tee or around the greens. But he has struggled with accuracy so far this season, hitting the fairway only 53% of the time. He also ranks 100th on the PGA Tour in greens in regulation percentage, which leaves him scrambling more than he would like. Yet, Min Woo Lee has two top-12 results this season, although he arrives in Ponta Vedra Beach fresh off a missed cut at Arnie’s Place. He did go out early Thursday, when the wind blew at its hardest.

Best Finish: T-6 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +9000

Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour via Getty Images

39. Lucas Glover

The 45-year-old veteran has had an up-and-down year so far. He has missed three cuts but also has a T-3, which came at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. His next best finish was at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he tied for 21st. He then made the cut last weekend at Arnie’s Place, despite losing more than four strokes on the greens. Who knows how Glover will play this week at TPC Sawgrass, where he has produced mixed results. He has made only seven cuts in his 17 starts at The Players, but does own a pair of top-six finishes.

Best Finish: 3 (2010)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +15000

38. Byeong Hun An

Byeong Hun An just turned in his best performance of the year at Bay Hill, tying for eighth after shooting three straight under-par rounds over the final 54 holes. He looked destined to miss his third straight cut after opening with a 4-over 76, but An turned in a solid 69 on Friday to make the weekend. But the big-hitting South Korean has struggled with every aspect of his game except for his tee ball, which could spell trouble this week.

Best Finish: T-26 (2019)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +12000

37. Akshay Bhatia

Akshay Bhatia went out early on Thursday, thus receiving the wrong side of the draw on a breezy day at Bay Hill. The young Southpaw posted a 7-over 79, a round that featured an opening double bogey and a triple bogey eight on the par-5 6th. He could not climb out of that hole, as he missed his first cut of the year. You should not look too much into this poor performance, though. Before the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bhatia tied for ninth at Torrey Pines and then finished solo ninth in Mexico. He’s 12th on tour in strokes gained putting and 25th in strokes gained overall. But Bhatia’s issue is that he ranks 123rd on tour in proximity to the hole. He has to hit his approaches closer to give himself more opportunities.

Best Finish: CUT (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +11000

36. Tom Hoge

A closing triple bogey on Sunday at Bay Hill dropped Tom Hoge down the leaderboard and into a tie for 40th. But this blunder came because he missed the fairway off the tee, something he has struggled with this season. Hoge ranks 172nd on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee and 87th in driving accuracy percentage. He’s among the best ball strikers in the world, but he can’t lean on that attribute if he is not in the short grass. Yet, Hoge can contend at Sawgrass if he can find the fairway consistently this week.

Best Finish: T-3 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +35000

35. Rasmus Højgaard

The big-hitting Dane did not make it into last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational field, so he should arrive at TPC Sawgrass rested and ready to go. His most recent start came in Mexico, where he tied for 34th, and then the week before, he missed the cut at Torrey Pines thanks to an opening round 82. Outside of that hiccup in San Diego, Højgaard has played well since last September, which includes his win over Rory McIlroy at Royal County Down. He also finished solo second at the DP World Tour Championship and tied for 12th at the WM Phoenix Open, his best finish on the PGA Tour this season.

Best Finish: CUT (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +15000

Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

34. Viktor Hovland

You may be surprised to see Viktor Hovland so low on these rankings, but the Norwegian looks nowhere near the player who won the 2023 FedEx Cup. He missed his second straight cut at Bay Hill this past week and has carded only three sub-70 rounds this season. Maybe he should re-consider re-uniting with coach Joe Mayo, who he parted ways with for a second time in December. At any rate, Hovland’s short game struggles have reared their ugly head again.

Best Finish: T3 (2013)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +7500

33. Wyndham Clark

Wyndham Clark has held the solo lead after the first round on two occasions already this year, and yet, he failed to finish among the top-10 in either. The 2023 U.S. Open champion sputtered out of contention on Saturday with a 4-over 76 and ultimately tied for 22nd at Bay Hill. Inaccuracy off the tee has plagued him this season, but so has his approach play. Clark ranks 158th in driving accuracy percentage, finding the fairway just 53% of the time and 95th in greens in regulation percentage. No wonder he has shown flashes instead of consistent, strong play.

Best Finish: T-2 (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +6000

32. Will Zalatoris

Will Zalatoris has not missed a cut since the rain-soaked Wyndham Championship last August. Maybe his recent weight-gains can be attributed to this solid stretch, which includes six top-25 finishes. But Zalatoris has not finished better than T-12, a result he posted at The American Express in January and the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August. He did miss the cut at The Players a year ago, but Zalatoris has gained strokes on the field in every event he has played in so far this season.

Best Finish: 21 (2021)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +7500

31. Tom Kim

Tom Kim has the talent to be a top-10 player in the world, but his form has been nowhere near that for the past month. After tying for seventh at Pebble Beach, Kim tied for 44th at the WM Phoenix Open and Genesis Invitational. He then missed the cut last week at Arnie’s Place, with only Rafael Campos and Matthieu Pavon below him on the leaderboard. His short game has been the primary reason for his recent struggles.

Best Finish: T-51 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +8000

30. J.J. Spaun

J.J. Spaun came close at the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Cognizant Classic, tying for third and second, respectively. He has not finished worse than T-34, which came at the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. One week before that, Spaun had to withdraw from the WM Phoenix Open due to an illness, but he has put together a solid season outside of that. He quietly ranks ninth in strokes gained approach and could be a solid dark horse pick for TPC Sawgrass.

Best Finish: T-64 (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +11000

29. Christiaan Bezuidenhout

The 30-year-old South African is one of the best putters on the PGA Tour and his strokes gained stats reflect that. He is currently third in strokes gained putting and first on tour from putts within 10 feet. His problem is that he ranks 78th in greens in regulation percentage, meaning he is not giving himself enough good looks. Bezuidenhout is also 143rd on tour in strokes gained from tee-to-green, and yet, he managed to tie for 19th at Bay Hill — his second-best finish of the year after his T-4 at TPC Scottsdale.

Best Finish: T-13 (2023, 2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +11000

28. Ben Griffin

Ben Griffin continues to impress. Before last week’s T-45 at Bay Hill, the former North Carolina Tar Heel rattled off a pair of top-fives in Mexico and at PGA National. He also tied for seventh at the American Express earlier in the year. Griffin makes a ton of birdies, and ranks 40th in strokes gained from tee-to-green. If he can avoid the hazards at TPC Sawgrass, watch out for Griffin to make some noise this week.

Best Finish: T-35 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +11000

27. Adam Scott

The 45-year-old Australian has played in only five events this year, with his best finish coming at The Sentry. He tied for 15th in Maui, but has only one other top-25 thus far. Putting has let him down so far this season, as Scott ranks 149th on tour in strokes gained putting — a significant drop from last year, when he was 27th in that same metric. Maybe he can get the flat stick rolling this week at TPC Sawgrass, where he won in 2004.

Best Finish: WON (2004)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +10000

26. Si Woo Kim

Si Woo Kim won The Players in 2017 at the age of 21, becoming the youngest player ever to conquer TPC Sawgrass. Now 29, Kim’s best finish this season came at Pebble Beach, where he finished solo 12th — that also marked the first of four straight top-25 finishes, which includes last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational (T-19). Kim makes birdies in bunches, ranking sixth on tour in total birdies made this year. So if he can limit his mistakes again this week, don’t be surprised to see Kim’s name on the leaderboard again on Sunday.

Best Finish: WON (2017)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +6000

25. Max Greyserman

The second-year pro came close to winning on the PGA Tour in his rookie season, finishing runner-up on three occasions. He even finished within the top-50 of the FedEx Cup rankings. The former Duke Blue Devil has played well in 2025 too, making eight-of-eight cuts thus far. Greyserman tied for 22nd last week at Bay Hill, leaning heavily on his short game.

Best Finish: ROOKIE

FanDuel Odds to Win: +12000

24. Daniel Berger

It feels like a matter of when and not if Daniel Berger returns to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour. Berger, who made the Ryder Cup team in 2021, tied for second at the WM Phoenix Open and most recently tied for 15th at Bay Hill. But what’s impressive about his latest finish is that he opened with a 6-over 78. Berger then battled back on Friday with a 3-under 69 to make the cut. He has no glaring flaws in his game either, gaining strokes in all six metrics across the board. Watch out for the former Florida State Seminole this week.

Best Finish: T-9 (2016, 2021)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +6000

23. Jason Day

A mud ball on the 70th hole at Bay Hill prevented Jason Day from threatening a victory, but the Australian still managed to tie for eighth. He did show flashes of brilliance on Friday and Saturday, shooting rounds of 64 and 69 during the second and third rounds. And yet, he looked nowhere near the major champion he is on Thursday, as he opened with a 4-over 76. He has been inconsistent at times this season, but considering Day has won The Players before, it would surprise no one if he triumphed at TPC Sawgrass again.

Best Finish: WON (2016)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +6000

Photo by Brian Spurlock/Getty Images

22. Maverick McNealy

A disastrous second-round 80 sent Maverick McNealy home from Bay Hill early, but that should not detract from his solid season. He has three top 10s, including a solo second at Torrey Pines, where he finished one stroke behind Ludvig Åberg. McNealy is 14th on tour this year in strokes gained overall, relying heavily on his approach play and putting. The former Stanford standout tied for ninth at TPC Sawgrass last year.

Best Finish: T-9 (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +7000

21. Sam Burns

Sam Burns has had a quiet first few months of the season. He has not missed a cut but has not threatened the winner’s circle either. His best finish came at The Sentry, where he tied for eighth, but he has not finished within the top 20 since. He’s a solid iron player with a terrific short game, a combo that should lead to success at TPC Sawgrass. Plus, he finds plenty of greens, so maybe this is the week he finally contends at The Players. Burns has never finished higher than T-26 in Ponta Vedra.

Best Finish: T-26 (2022)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +7500

20. Denny McCarthy

The best putter on the planet has made the cut in all seven of his starts this season, highlighted by a T-5 at the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. He most recently finished solo 18th at Bay Hill, thanks to a final round 5-under 67. The former Virginia Cavalier shot three straight rounds of 73 over the first three days but led the field in putting on Sunday to move into the top-20.

Best Finish: T-13 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +8000

19. Robert MacIntyre

‘Big Shot Bob’ has hit the ball well this season, ranking 15th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained from tee-to-green and eighth in strokes gained off the tee. But the Scotsman has struggled once he gets to the putting surface. MacIntyre is 102nd on tour in strokes gained around the green and 157th in strokes gained putting. He also one putts just 31.48% of the time, which is good for a paltry 181st. Yet, MacIntyre did gain strokes on the greens last week at Bay Hill, a big reason why he tied for 11th. If he has a decent week with his short game, he could vie for a first Players Championship title.

Best Finish: CUT (2021, 2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +6500

18. Aaron Rai

Aaron Rai is one of the more accurate players on the PGA Tour, a requirement for success at TPC Sawgrass. But his biggest flaw this season has been his short game, as he ranks 154th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green. Despite that, the Englishman tied for fourth at the Mexico Open and 11th at Bay Hill in his last two starts. He’s a tremendous ball striker, so perhaps that will help overlook his short game deficiency at Sawgrass.

Best Finish: T-19 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +6000

17. Tony Finau

Tony Finau began Sunday’s final round on the fringe of contention, but then imploded with an 8-over 80. That can happen at Bay Hill, especially with water and trouble lurking everywhere. But Finau has not had much success at TPC Sawgrass, another course with plenty of danger. His best finish at The Players came two years ago, when he tied for 19th.

Best Finish: T-19 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +7000

16. Sungjae Im

Sungjae Im watched Keegan Bradley go out with a 29 and then posted a back-nine 31 of his own, shooting up the leaderboard and posting a top-20 finish at Bay Hill. He needed a decent finish at Arnie’s Place, especially since he arrived in Central Florida on the heels of back-to-back missed cuts at Torrey Pines and PGA National. Maybe he can ride the momentum from that back-nine into TPC Sawgrass.

Best Finish: T-6 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +5500

15. Patrick Cantlay

Despite winning the FedEx Cup in 2021, Patrick Cantlay is still eyeing a career-defining victory. A win at The Players this week would do that. But he has struggled at TPC Sawgrass throughout his career. He has missed three cuts and has finished no better than T-19. Remarkably, Cantlay’s lowest round in competition is a 4-under 68, a surprising fact considering how strong of an iron player he is. Maybe that changes this week, considering he already has a pair of top-five finishes this year and ranks second on the PGA Tour in greens in regulation percentage at 76.39%.

Best Finish: T-19 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +4000

14. Michael Kim

Perhaps no PGA Tour player has had a better month than Michael Kim, who has five straight top-15 finishes dating back to the WM Phoenix Open. What has made Kim so successful over the past five weeks has been his ability to avoid mistakes: he ranks first on the PGA Tour in bogey avoidance, dropping a shot only 9.33% of the time. Kim is also fifth on tour in strokes gained tee-to-green as he continues to play with sky-high confidence. This early-season run has been one of the highlights of the 2025 season.

Best Finish: T-60 (2017)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +8000

13. Keegan Bradley

How about the Ryder Cup captain? Keegan Bradley blistered Bay Hill’s brutal front nine with a record-breaking 7-under 29. He has not missed a cut yet this season and has been one of the better American players over the last 12 months. But Bradley has not made the cut at The Players since 2022, when he finished solo fifth. Perhaps that changes this week, knowing how well he has played from tee-to-green.

Best Finish: 5 (2022)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +5000

12. Corey Conners

Corey Conners continues to knock on the door, as he finished solo third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week. He made 17 pars and one birdie during the final round, not making a mistake but failing to capitalize on his opportunities. He could not make a putt on Sunday, which has been a common theme for him this season. He’s 148th on tour in total putting. Yet, Conners has had some success at TPC Sawgrass. He finished solo seventh in 2021 and tied for 13th a year ago. Perhaps he’s on the front page of the leaderboard again this week.

Best Finish: 7 (2021)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +6000

11. Sepp Straka

Sepp Straka continues to strengthen his case as a Ryder Cup lock. Aside from a missed cut at Torrey Pines, Straka’s last six starts include a win, three top 20s, and, most recently, a T-5 at Bay Hill. If not for an opening 5-over 77, in which he got the wrong side of the draw, Straka could have easily won at Arnie’s Place. But now, ‘Ox’ heads to TPC Sawgrass, where he tied for 16th a year ago and posted a T-9 in 2022. He should contend there again, considering his ball-striking pedigree and penchant for finding plenty of fairways off the tee.

Best Finish: T-9 (2022)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +4500

10. Shane Lowry

Shane Lowry held the 36-hole lead at Bay Hill but then turned in a disastrous performance on Saturday, shooting a 4-over 76. The Irishman finished solo seventh, as struggles off the tee prevented him from finishing higher. If he can clean up those wayward drives, Lowry’s ball striking and world-class hands around the greens should make him a factor at Sawgrass.

Best Finish: 8 (2021)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +4000

9. Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas is hitting the ball as well as anyone on the planet right now. He’s an old-school player at heart, someone who can hit any shot shape when required. He has posted three top-10s this year already, and is seventh on the PGA Tour in strokes gained overall. But last week’s T-36 at Bay Hill can be attributed to a putter that went ice cold over the weekend. Should his putter catch some heat, Thomas will be someone to watch out for at TPC Sawgrass, especially considering he has won this event before.

Best Finish: WON (2021)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +2000

8. Tommy Fleetwood

How Tommy Fleetwood has yet to win on the PGA Tour is one of the game’s biggest mysteries. The Englishman defines consistency, and has posted 13 consecutive top-25 finishes across his last 13 starts worldwide. But if Fleetwood wants to find the winner’s circle, he has to get off to better starts. At both the Genesis Invitational and Arnold Palmer Invitational, Fleetwood opened with 3-over 75s. He then went on to tie for fifth and 11th, so imagine where he would be if he had shot an even par round instead?

Best Finish: T-5 (2019)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +3000

7. Russell Henley

How about Russell Henley? The Macon, Georgia native went and snatched Arnie’s Red Cardigan away from Collin Morikawa and earned the biggest win of his career to date. He has played consistent golf all season, recording three top 10s in addition to his triumph at Bay Hill. He has not missed a cut since last year’s Players Championship. Considering how well he has played, it would be a shock if missed the cut at Sawgrass again.

Best Finish: T-13 (2022)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +3500

Photo by Michael Pimentel/Getty Images

6. Xander Schauffele

After missing the first two months of the season, Xander Schauffele said that he feels good after the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He fired a 3-under 69 on Sunday, his best score of the week, but Schauffele did look rusty at Bay Hill. Perhaps more rust comes off at Sawgrass, but it will likely take more time for the Champion Golfer of the Year to re-discover his form.

Best Finish: T-2 (2018, 2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +2500

5. Hideki Matsuyama

Since his record-breaking performance at The Sentry, Hideki Matsuyama has not posted a top-10 finish. He has been wayward off the tee this season, hitting the fairway only 51.76% of the time, which is good for 166th on tour. And yet, every other aspect of his game has been world-class. Matsuyama is sixth on tour in strokes gained overall and Another thing that is world-class? Matsuyama’s resume at TPC Sawgrass. In his 10 career starts at The Players, Matsuyama has four top-10 finishes and held the first round lead in 2020 before COVID-19 cancelled the tournament. That’s all to say that if he can find the fairway more consistently off the tee, the 2021 Masters winner will contend on Sunday.

Best Finish: 5 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +3300

4. Ludvig Åberg

Thanks to his win at Torrey Pines, Ludvig Åberg has proven he can win a big event. But he had some uncharacteristic lapses during last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, especially on Saturday. While playing alongside Scottie Scheffler, Åberg shot a 5-over 77. Bogies on the 7th and 9th holes, with a triple on the 8th sandwiched in between, ultimately sealed his fate. He chunked a couple of wedges into the pond on the 8th, a visual we are not accustomed to seeing. That said, Åberg’s game matches up well with TPC Sawgrass. He’s a terrific iron player and should rely on his nifty 7-wood to keep the ball away from trouble.

Best Finish: 8 (2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +1600

3. Collin Morikawa

Fresh off a gut-wrenching defeat at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Collin Morikawa hopes to bounce back at TPC Sawgrass and snap an 18-month winless drought. He has been close, posting four runner-up finishes over the last nine months. Other than the ZOZO Championship last October, Morikawa has finished no worse than T-24 dating back to last year’s Masters. He is hitting the ball as well as he ever has from tee-to-green, but the biggest barrier he faces right now may be in his own head.

Best Finish: T-13 (2023)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +1200

2. Rory McIlroy

After leading the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational in strokes gained off the tee, Rory McIlroy inexplicably made equipment changes ahead of last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. The move to do so did not pay off, as McIlroy went back to his “old stuff” ahead of Sunday’s final round. But now that his “familiar” clubs are back in the bag, McIlroy should factor into this week’s Players. Yet, he will need more putts to fall if he plans on contending.

Best Finish: WON (2019)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +1100

1. Scottie Scheffler

The undisputed No. 1 player in the world arrives in Northeast Florida looking to make more history. If Scheffler wins, he will become the first player to win three Players Championships in a row — he became the first to win back-to-back titles last year. A Scheffler victory would also mark the first time in 14 years that someone on tour capped off a three-peat: Steve Stricker won the John Deere Classic in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Last week, Scheffler led the field at Bay Hill in strokes gained off the tee, but he lost over five strokes on the greens. If more putts go in at TPC Sawgrass, golf fans will see more history unfold.

Best Finish: WON (2023, 2024)

FanDuel Odds to Win: +400

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.