Highlights and lowlights from the 2026 Players Championship
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Although the Players Championship is not classified as the fifth major, the PGA Tour’s premier event provided another exciting conclusion at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday.
Cameron Young achieved the most significant victory of his career by overtaking 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick on the last two holes for a 1-shot win.
Young recorded a 4-under 68 in the final round, finishing at 13-under 275, one stroke ahead of Fitzpatrick and two ahead of Xander Schauffele.
Young was a standout for the U.S. Ryder Cup team during its 15-13 defeat to Europe at Bethpage Black State Park in New York in September, earning four points with a 3-1 record in his matches.
This performance garnered him significant support from the spectators at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday.
“It definitely helps,” Young stated. “It gives you some context for how you can perform and how to think when you feel that way. Managing nerves is challenging. Your senses are heightened.”
Here’s a recap of the performances in the Players Championship:
Winner: Cameron Young
Young required 94 starts to secure his first PGA Tour victory, experiencing several difficult learning moments along the way. His seven second-place finishes during this period were the highest by any golfer on tour since 1983.
After finally achieving his first win at the Wyndham Championship in August 2025, he did not have to wait long for his second.
The 28-year-old caught Fitzpatrick with a notable birdie on the famous par-3 17th and secured victory with a par on the challenging 18th.
“The stadium atmosphere out there is incredible,” Young remarked. “It’s so loud on 17. With everything elevated, you know all eyes are on you. There’s nowhere to hide, and I feel like I stepped up well and executed several good shots on those last couple holes, so I’m very proud of that.”
If there were any remaining questions about Young’s ability to finish strong, the former Wake Forest standout answered them with an impressive 57-degree wedge shot and a 9½-foot birdie putt on the island green 17th — along with a remarkable 375-yard drive on the final hole. This was the longest drive recorded by any player on No. 18 at TPC Sawgrass in the ShotLink era (since 2004).
“I drove it really well last week, and I drove it fairly average this week,” Young explained. “I felt like I never quite found my rhythm. It just wasn’t coming out the way I intended. I finally hit a couple of good ones on the back. Then on 18, my thought process was, one, to ensure I was committed to my line, and two, the overarching thought was to hit the best shot of my life right there.”
Loser: Ludvig Åberg
The 26-year-old began the final round with a three-stroke advantage and maintained a two-stroke lead after making the turn at even par on Sunday. However, things unraveled on holes 11 and 12. His swing on the approach from 267 yards with a 7-wood was poor, resulting in a slice into the water on the right, leading to a bogey 6.
Following that error, Åberg appeared to become overly ambitious on the short par-4 12th, opting to hit his driver off the tee, which exacerbated the situation. He hooked his drive into the water on the left, resulting in a double-bogey 6, effectively eliminating him from contention.
“We had a sort of game plan where driver was an option, and today the wind was a bit different from what we’ve experienced, and it was favorable for it,” Åberg said regarding his driver on the 12th. “But yeah, it was a poor swing, a really poor swing, and it definitely stings a bit.”
Åberg finished with a 4-over 76 in the final round, tying for fifth at 9 under.
“You’re always going to feel nerves,” he noted. “I definitely felt nerves this morning, as well as yesterday and on Thursday and Friday. The main thing for me is to think about winning, but I try not to get ahead of myself while playing golf.
“I think we managed the front nine quite well. I felt like we handled it to the extent that it could have been a few shots better here and there. It was just a disappointing back nine, and I hope to perform better next time.”
Winner: Sudarshan Yellamaraju
Many golf fans may not have been familiar with the PGA Tour rookie prior to this past weekend. He shot 10 under during his final 36 holes in his first Players Championship appearance and tied for fifth at 9 under, marking his best finish on tour.
Yellamaraju was born in India and relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the age of 4. He learned to swing a club by watching YouTube videos of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and others. He practiced indoors and could only play outside for a few months each year in Canada.
“I know I can compete and contend, and I have a lot of belief in myself, but that results-based confidence is something you can’t replicate,” Yellamaraju stated. “Once you achieve something, you know you can do that or better. Obviously, regardless of where I finish, I know I can achieve that, and then move up from there.”
Yellamaraju still does not have a swing coach — he has never had one — and depends on his father and caddie for feedback.
Every aspect of his game performed well at The Players. He ranked fourth in strokes gained: putting (5.501), 15th in approach (4.503), and tied for second in driving distance (311.2 yards).
Following his performance at TPC Sawgrass, Yellamaraju advanced from 216th to 145th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He also earned $925,000.
“I always aim to win every tournament, but that’s not realistically achievable,” Yellamaraju remarked. “I just wanted to focus on one shot at a time, playing the best golf I could. I remained patient, fought until the very end, and never gave up, and that’s all I could hope for.”
Loser: Rory McIlroy
A back injury hindered McIlroy from mounting a serious challenge in his Players Championship title defense. He arrived at TPC Sawgrass on Wednesday and did not participate in a practice round. He appeared rusty, particularly on the greens.
McIlroy deserves credit for persevering and making the cut. He tied for 46th at even par.
McIlroy was uncertain if he would compete again before the Masters, the first major of the season at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9-12.
“[I’m] glad I got through four days and my body feels good,” McIlroy stated. “I feel like my game improved progressively as the week went on, even though the scores probably didn’t reflect it over the weekend. I struck the ball well. I just didn’t convert on the greens.”
Winner: Xander Schauffele
It was only a matter of time before Schauffele began to play like a major championship contender again, and he started to regain that form at TPC Sawgrass.
After dealing with a painful rib injury for much of 2025, Schauffele positioned himself well in The Players with birdies on three of the last four holes, including a 20½-footer that fell on No. 18, making him the clubhouse leader at 11 under.
Ultimately, it wasn’t sufficient.
It would not be surprising to see the two-time major winner back in contention at the Masters.
“A lot of positives,” Schauffele said regarding his performance at TPC Sawgrass. “I’d say my approach was really solid through the first couple rounds. I’d say it was pretty consistent this week. I didn’t miss a fairway. [I] would like to tidy up the putting just a bit. I feel like I’m missing some of those inside the 5- to 10-foot range. Other than that, I have time.”
