Can you be a fifth Major when there is only four? If you can, this would be it. The PGA Tour stays in Florida this week for THE PLAYERS Championship with a field of the greatest golfers in the world ready to peg it up at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. Big-time tournaments bring out the big names, and so does the big time money. The purse for this event is in the $12.5 million range with the winner getting a cool 2.25 mill. That should incentivize anyone to come play this week.
There is a logjam at the top of the odds board with Dustin Johnson at +1103 the betting favorite to with the total. He’s followed closely by Rory McIlroy ( +1256 ), Justin Thomas ( +1558 ), Brooks Koepka ( +1806 ) and Justin Rose ( +1889 ).
Odds to Win THE PLAYERS Championship at BookMaker.eu
Dustin Johnson +1103
Rory McIlroy +1256
Justin Thomas +1558
Brooks Koepka +1806
Justin Rose +1889
Rickie Fowler +2169
Francesco Molinari +2269
Tiger Woods +2676
Tommy Fleetwood +2679
Bryson DeChambeau +2802
Xander Schauffele +2802
Jon Rahm +3083
Sergio Garcia +3819
Patrick Cantlay +3918
Hideki Matsuyama +4399
Paul Casey +4668
Adam Scott +5050
Jason Day +5450
Tony Finau +5769
Webb Simpson +6025
Gary Woodland +6054
Jordan Spieth +6250
Rafa Cabrera Bello +6600
Henrik Stenson +6625
Ian Poulter +7000
Matt Kuchar +7075
Marc Leishman +7555
Patrick Reed +8000
Phil Mickelson +8250
Lucas Glover +8250
Matt Wallace +8786
Matthew Fitzpatrick +8850
Si Woo Kim +9000
Bubba Watson +9250
Billy Horschel +9500
Charles Howell III +9500
Tyrrell Hatton +9500
Cameron Smith +10000
Louis Oosthuizen +10000
Odds Analysis
Tiger Woods +2676
The Big Cat is going to compete this week after skipping the API. Missing out on the $9 million to Phil Mickelson over Thanksgiving weekend hurt the pocket book and Tiger needs to replenish the coffers. He’s not a bad pick to claim the top prize since he has won this event in both May and March, and he’s never missed a cut. That brings us to the big question at hand: Is Woods fully healthy to make a run at the title? The key is fully healthy, because when he is, well, he’s Tiger. But we’ve seen too many breakdowns over the past few years and competing at a high level against the best in the world is also a task. While I’m tempted to throw down on him, there is just a big question mark surrounding his neck issue, and a player that’s not 100 percent isn’t going to win. Drop your change on a better value pick.
Tommy Fleetwood +2679
Looks like he’s peaking at the right time and headed to a course that he enjoys, which is saying something because not many say that. Fleetwood had three stellar rounds of 69, 66 and 68 at the API last week. However, a third-round 76 cost him bigger things. Still, he’s been on a run of outstanding form and said this about TPC Sawgrass last year, “I love the golf course. It’s one of my favorites. Whether I do well or not, it’s still one of my favorite courses.” His ball striking is strong and he loves the layout, which makes me love his chances.
Rory McIlroy +1256
Admittedly it took McIlroy some time to figure out the layout and after three missed cuts to start his career at THE PLAYERS, he had a run of four straight top-12s. He’s been playing solid golf for a few months now, doing everything but win a title. A T6 last week at Bay Hill was his lowest finish in five 2019 Tour starts. Despite his recent form, critics are saying he lacks the killer instinct. It’s not like the other guys are there for decorations, they’re trying to win, too. And McIlroy is going to get his soon if he continues to play as well as he has.
Jordan Spieth +6250
Given the unpredictable nature of this event, it’s hard to count Spieth out even though he’s been racking up some big numbers. However, this layout has big numbers peeking out from every hazard and when things are going bad the ocean and desert can be imposing. Course form hasn’t been anything special, either, with a T41 and three missed cuts in his last four starts. The payout is nice, but Spieth’s game is probably better suited for next week’s Valspar.
Course: TPC Sawgrass – 7,189 yards, Par 72
It’s not a long course at just under 7,200 yards, but with an abundance of water hazards and bunkers ideally placed along the layout, we could see some big numbers. Since 2014 only two venues have produced a higher rate of double-bogeys or worse. Sawgrass has a way of leveling the playing field making course management more important than anything else. Manage to stay out of the water and sand, and you’re in a better position to play over the weekend with a chance at the big payday. Most golfers take a conservative approach given the number of hazards, and that’s the smart thing to do. Par 5s at the second and 16th holes offer up chances to make up strokes, as long as you don’t lose them on the iconic 17th by dropping a tee shot in the drink. The move to March from May also brings wind into play and the forecast is calling for gusts up to 18 MPH on all four days.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, NBC
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