2026 Players Championship: Assessing the 25 leading competitors in the tournament
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The temperatures are finally rising on the East Coast, and the PGA Tour is set to commence The Players, its premier event at Pete Dye’s Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
Although there has been considerable discussion regarding whether The Players should be classified as the fifth major of the sport, it is clear that there is a lot at stake for the 123-player field beginning Thursday.
The Players features a purse of $25 million, with the champion receiving $4.5 million and 750 FedEx Cup points.
Rory McIlroy returns as the defending champion after overcoming J.J. Spaun in a playoff last year on Monday.
This week will also see significant attention on off-course developments. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp will speak to the media on Wednesday, where he is anticipated to share part of his vision for the tour’s future.
Here are the leading contenders for The Players:
1. Scottie Scheffler
The world No. 1 golfer secured his 20th PGA Tour title in his season debut at the American Express on Jan. 22. He aims to become only the second player to win The Players three times, joining Jack Nicklaus (1974, ’76, and ’78) after being the first back-to-back champion in 2023 and 2024. The four-time major winner has recorded four consecutive opening rounds of 70 or worse. Perhaps he is merely allowing the rest of the competitors a chance?
2. Rory McIlroy
The reigning Players Championship titleholder appeared to be building momentum for his title defenses at both TPC Sawgrass and Augusta National Golf Club with a tie for second at the Genesis Invitational. However, he had to withdraw before the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday due to lower-back spasms. McIlroy reported feeling a twinge in the gym, and the issue worsened while practicing on the range. His health will be a significant narrative this week. McIlroy also has the opportunity to join the Golden Bear as the only other three-time winner.
3. Tommy Fleetwood
After achieving his first PGA Tour victory at last season’s Tour Championship, Fleetwood continued his strong performance by tying for fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and for seventh at the Genesis Invitational. His last top-10 finish at TPC Sawgrass was a solo fifth in 2019.
4. Xander Schauffele
A troublesome rib injury hindered Schauffele’s 2025 season, but the two-time major champion’s game showed improvement when he tied for seventh at the Genesis. He has struggled with accuracy off the tee this season. Schauffele has been a two-time runner-up at The Players in 2018 and 2024.
5. Collin Morikawa
The two-time major champion triumphed at Pebble Beach on Feb. 22, marking his first tour victory since October 2023. A transition to a mallet putter — which Morikawa mentioned he “borrowed” from close friend Kurt Kitayama — aided him in returning to the winner’s circle. He tied for 10th at 7 under in the 2025 Players Championship, his best result at TPC Sawgrass.
6. Jake Knapp
Knapp started the season strongly, finishing no worse than 11th in his first five outings, until he had to withdraw before the Arnold Palmer’s opening round due to illness. Prior to that tournament at Bay Hill, Knapp ranked third in strokes gained: total (2.183), fourth in putting (1.095), and eighth in driving distance (319.4 yards). He tied for 12th in the 2025 Players Championship, marking his second appearance in the event.
7. Akshay Bhatia
Even before Bhatia secured his third PGA Tour victory at Bay Hill, he appeared to be on the path to potential stardom. Following two consecutive missed cuts to start the season, Bhatia’s form has significantly improved over the past month. He achieved three top-10 finishes in his last four starts, including a tie for third in Phoenix. He tied for third in last season’s Players Championship at 10 under in just his second appearance at TPC Sawgrass.
8. Sepp Straka
Straka took a break for personal reasons towards the end of the 2025 season, but he has been performing well recently. He finished as the runner-up at Pebble Beach and tied for 13th at Bay Hill. Additionally, TPC Sawgrass seems to suit his game, as he has finished 16th or better in three of his last four Players starts.
9. Robert MacIntyre
The Scottish golfer had notable performances during the West Coast swing, tying for fourth in the Sony Open in Hawaii and for 20th in the Genesis Invitational. His iron play has been subpar, ranking 141st in strokes gained: approach (-.575) before Bay Hill. However, MacIntyre has excelled in putting and had a breakthrough at The Players last season, tying for ninth at 8 under.
10. Justin Rose
The 45-year-old continues to showcase some of the finest golf of his career. He secured his 13th PGA Tour victory with a seven-shot win at the Farmers Insurance Open on Jan. 29. His iron play has been exceptional. The English golfer has missed the cut in three of his last five starts at TPC Sawgrass, but he also boasts two top-10 finishes.
11. Jacob Bridgeman
Bridgeman achieved his breakthrough at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles, edging out McIlroy and Kitayama for a one-shot victory, his first on tour. The 26-year-old former Clemson standout has six top-25 finishes in as many starts this season. He led the tour in strokes gained: putting (1.276) before Bay Hill last week. This will be his second appearance in The Players.
12. Chris Gotterup
Just when it appeared that Gotterup might be cooling off after a hot start, which included victories at the Sony Open in Hawaii and WM Phoenix Open, he found himself back near the top of the leaderboard at Bay Hill. Gotterup has been one of the top golfers on tour off the tee, ranking fifth in driving distance (322 yards) before the Arnold Palmer. He missed the cut in his first Players appearance in 2025.
13. Ludvig Åberg
Åberg withdrew from the American Express due to illness in his first start this season and had an inconsistent beginning to 2026. However, he has rebounded by tying for 20th in the Genesis Invitational and tying for third at Bay Hill. His statistics have not been impressive thus far, but he finished solo eighth at 5 under in his first Players appearance in 2024. He will have a home-course advantage this week after relocating close to the Stadium Course.
14. Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama has cooled off somewhat after a strong start to the season. He did not finish worse than 11th in his first four starts, including a playoff loss to Gotterup in Phoenix. Matsuyama has a solid history at TPC Sawgrass, with seven top-25 finishes in 11 starts. He missed the cut last year after tying for sixth in 2024 and finishing solo fifth in 2023.
15. Shane Lowry
Lowry may still be feeling the effects of his late collapse in the Cognizant Classic, where he held a three-stroke lead with three holes remaining but lost to Nico Echavarria by two. He missed the cut in last week’s Arnold Palmer. The Irish golfer has otherwise performed well in 2026, particularly with his irons and putter, and he has four top-20 finishes in his last five Players appearances.
16. Si Woo Kim
Kim, the 2017 Players Championship winner, has started the season strongly. He has five top-13 finishes, including a tie for second in the Farmers Insurance Open and a tie for third in the WM Phoenix Open. His last tour victory came at the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii.
17. Matt Fitzpatrick
The 2022 U.S. Open champion has returned to being one of the top ball strikers globally. Before the Arnold Palmer, he ranked fourth in strokes gained: approach (1.120) and fifth in tee to green (1.731). He has missed the cut in three of his last five Players appearances but finished in the top 10 in the other two.
18. Viktor Hovland
Hovland made significant changes early this season, switching from swing coach Grant Waite to T.J. Yeaton, his former coach, as reported by Golfweek. Hovland also utilized his old Ping driver at Bay Hill. He appeared frustrated after failing to contend in two key events, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational. Although he missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass last year, he tied for third in 2023 and ninth in 2022.
19. Corey Conners
Conners has had a mediocre start this season, with a tie for 24th in the Sony Open in Hawaii being his best result. Nevertheless, the Canadian golfer has been one of the top iron players in the world and has the potential to improve. He finished 13th or better in three of his last five starts at TPC Sawgrass.
20. Cameron Young
Young finally secured a victory on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship in August and was one of the U.S. team’s standout performers in the Ryder Cup. His form appears to be improving with back-to-back top-10 finishes in the Genesis Invitational and Arnold Palmer. TPC Sawgrass has been challenging for him so far; he has not achieved a top-50 finish in four starts.
21. Tom Hoge
There seem to be two certainties at TPC Sawgrass: numerous balls will land in the water on the island-green 17th, and Hoge will be found on the leaderboard. Although he has dropped to 95th in the Official World Golf Ranking, The Players tends to bring out Hoge’s best. He tied for third in 2023 after shooting a tournament-record 10-under 62 in the third round and tied for third again last year, just two strokes shy of a playoff.
22. J.J. Spaun
The current U.S. Open champion has had a slow start this season, missing three cuts in five starts. He did not finish better than a tie for 40th in the other two. Spaun has the ability to rebound at TPC Sawgrass, where he lost to McIlroy in a three-hole aggregate playoff in a Monday finish during the 2025 Players Championship.
23. Rickie Fowler
Fowler is experiencing another resurgence, having performed well in two FedEx Cup playoff events at the conclusion of 2025. This season, he has four top-20 finishes and has not placed lower than 28th. He tied for ninth in the API. His iron play has been strong, and he ranks in the top 25 in strokes gained: putting (.701). Fowler has only one top-45 finish in The Players since his playoff victory in 2015.
24. Harris English
English’s results this season have been as consistent as his game: he has not finished outside the top 28 in each of his first six starts. The Players had been challenging for English until the last two years. He missed the cut in seven consecutive tournaments before tying for 19th in 2024 and 30th last year.
25. Russell Henley
Henley, currently ranked seventh in the world, had a solid West Coast swing, tying for 19th in Pebble Beach and eighth at the American Express. His performance at TPC Sawgrass has also been inconsistent. He missed the cut in seven of his first 13 starts, with his best finish being a tie for 13th in 2022.
