PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Despite all the speculation last month, The Players Championship is not a designated “major,” even though the winner certainly looks like one of the major champions. Since the tournament was moved from May to March, a champion figure stepped into the winner’s circle and hoisted the golden trophy awarded to the champion of the PGA Tour’s flagship event.
Each of the past six winners ranked within the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He was also ranked within the top 8 in the data golf rankings. Half of them were in the top three at the time of their win.
Scottie Scheffler became the first player to win back-to-back titles in the 2023-24 season. Rory McIlroy added the Players Championship trophy to his mantle for the first time in 2019, with his second trophy coming six years later in 2025. Meanwhile, two-time major champion Justin Thomas conquered the devilish Pete Dye design and Cameron Smith added victory to a career year in which he won three championships, including the British Open.
So that should narrow down the list of potential winners, right? Well, yes and no. TPC Sawgrass requires an elite skill set because shots need to be shaped both ways, and ultimately, when adversity hits, you have to overcome it. This screams that the world’s top 10 players are winners, but when you look at the form of some of those same players, eyebrows start to rise.
Some of the big names have it, some are looking for it, and even guys like McIlroy just want to get through this week to defend their title without the luxury of doing practice rounds for a fight. persistent back injury. All of this could combine to result in a surprise winner…or a clear winner staring us all right in the face.
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Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook
Who will win the Players Championship in 2026? Which long shot will shock the golf world? Visit SportsLine now to see the predicted leaderboardsfind everything from 16 golf major nailed models for the weekend.
