Trending Now - Top 25 Players and Odds for 2026 Players Championship

WHO:

Rory McIlroy, defending champion of The Players Championship

Brian Rolapp, PGA Tour CEO

Scottie Scheffler, +500 favorite for the 2026 Players Championship

Ludvig Åberg, projected to make a run at the title at +2200

Xander Schauffele, one of the favorites for the tournament

Tommy Fleetwood, competitor in the tournament

Collin Morikawa, competitor in the tournament

Other notable players mentioned: J.J. Spaun, Knapp, Bhatia, Straka, MacIntyre, Hovland, Conners, Young, Hoge, Fowler, English, Henley

WHAT:

The Players Championship has a purse of $25 million, with $4.5 million and 750 FedEx Cup points awarded to the winner.

The tournament features a 123-man field.

McIlroy won the 2025 Players Championship in a playoff against J.J. Spaun.

McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to lower-back spasms.

Schauffele is projected to barely crack the top 10 according to the SportsLine model.

The SportsLine model has successfully predicted 16 majors, including the 2025 Masters.

WHERE:

The Players Championship is held at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

WHEN:

The Players Championship begins on March 12th, 2026.

McIlroy won the 2025 Players Championship on March 10th, 2025.

McIlroy's victory at the American Express occurred on January 22nd, 2026.

Schauffele's last top-10 finish at TPC Sawgrass was in 2024.

WHY:

The Players Championship is considered one of the top non-majors on the PGA Tour schedule.

HOW:

The SportsLine model simulates every PGA Tour tournament 10,000 times to generate predictions.

(UPDATED March 10, 2026 11:12 UTC)

The Players Championship, one of the top non-majors on the PGA Tour, is set to kick off on March 12 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, featuring a competitive field of 123 players and a whopping $25 million purse. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who won the tournament last year in a playoff against J.J. Spaun, is among the favorites alongside Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, while Ludvig Åberg is projected to make a strong run at the title. McIlroy recently withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to lower-back spasms, but he did secure a victory at the American Express in January, adding to the excitement surrounding this year's championship.