Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are heavy favorites to win The Players pre-tournament, but a star-studded field will be aiming to prevent one of the world’s top two from winning at TPC Sawgrass.
Schaeffler has 20 wins on the PGA Tour since the start of 2022 and four majors in as many seasons, and the world No. 1 is seeking his third Players win in four years following an early victory at the American Express.
The American could become the first player since Jack Nicklaus to win the PGA Tour’s flagship event three times, and McIlroy will be hoping to do the same to join Scheffler as the only back-to-back winners of the Players.
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Check out Rory McIlroy’s best shot at winning the 2025 Players Championship as he looks to defend his title this week at TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy became the defending champion after a playoff win over JJ Spaun last year. McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, has seen his preparations for this year’s competition halted due to a ‘stubborn’ back injury.
Six of The Players’ most recent winners are ranked in the world’s top 10, but will that streak continue? Ahead of this year’s competition, Sky Sports’ experts have predicted who will take home the $4.5 million top prize and which players could be the surprise packages to impress.
Will Morikawa continue his hot start to the season?
Collin Morikawa sits atop the FedExCup standings this week after a strong start to the season with just one win and top-seven finishes in his last two starts at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
“He (Morikawa) has shown a lot of good performances this year and this golf course is perfect for his skills,” Paul McGinley said.
Will Colin Morikawa earn his second PGA Tour win of the season?
Nick Dougherty added: “I believe Morikawa will win. He got here thanks to his form, the composition of his game and, obviously, three really great results, including the win at Pebble Beach.
“He’s a great iron player who plays big here at TPC Sawgrass, and he’s pretty accurate off the tee, which is definitely essential.”
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It has been 25 years since Tiger Woods first won the Players Championship. En route to victory at TPC Sawgrass, he hit one of the most iconic putts in tour history, birdieing the par-3 17th in the third round.
A historic first British winner?
No Briton has won The Players, but will FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood pull it off and claim his second PGA Tour title?
David Howell said: “His game is catching on and he will be wearing baggy trousers for the trophy video on Sunday.” “You can see Tommy cruise to the 3-wood with a little draw to finish the last hole. It’s beautiful.”
Tommy Fleetwood plays along with Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas for the first two rounds.
This week’s event will feature 47 of the world’s top 50 players, with Ludvig Åberg, Russell Henley, Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, Cam Young, Patrick Cantlay and Matt Fitzpatrick all set to take home trophies.
“Winning the Wyndham Championship put a huge burden on Cam Young’s shoulders,” said Ewen Murray of Sky Sports. “After so many mistakes, he is ready to win his second place on the PGA Tour and take another step forward in his career.”
Rich Beem added: “I think it’s too late for Cantlay to get the win, so why isn’t he here? He’s trained to play this golf course very well, so I think he has a very good chance.”
Who will win The Players? Sky Sports experts’ predictions
- Rich Beam: Patrick Cantlay
- Andrew Coltart: Colin Morikawa
- Dame Laura Davis: Russell Henry
- Nick Doherty: Colin Morikawa
- David Howell: Tommy Fleetwood
- Anna Jackson: Kim Si-woo
- Paul McGinley: Colin Morikawa
- Ewan Murray: Wyndham Clarke
- Wayne ‘Raider’ Riley: Scotty Scheffler
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Todd Lewis provides an update on McIlroy’s participation in The Players and the possibility that the world number two will defend his title without a practice round.
Surprise package? impress outsiders
- Rich Beam: Chandler Phillips
- Andrew Coltart: Jake Knapp
- Dame Laura Davies as Lee Min-woo
- Nick Doherty: Shane Lowry
- Anna Jackson: Daniel Berger
- Paul McGinley: Jake Knapp
- Ewan Murray: Ricky Castillo
- Wayne ‘Raider’ Riley: Akshay Bhatia
When is The Players live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports Golf will once again be the home of The Players. There will be more than 40 hours of live golf over four days, with additional live programming available during tournament week.
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The stars of the PGA Tour will gather at TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players, broadcast live all week on Sky Sports.
‘Live from The Players’ will bring you the latest from TPC Sawgrass starting at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays ahead of the tournament’s live coverage starting on Thursday.
Featured groups will be featured on Sky Sports+ seven days a week with featured holes, and you can enjoy bonus feeds on top of the weekly feeds during our PGA Tour coverage.
Coverage begins at 11.30am on Thursday and Friday and 1pm on weekends and includes highlights from Sky Sports Golf and additional shows. Access or stream Sky Sports with no contract.
