The best field in golf tees it up this week for THE PLAYERS Championship, golf’s unofficial fifth major. You might think that the best fields in golf are in the Masters or one of the other three majors, but that is not the case, as those events include a lot of players who are playing on “invitations.” Also, there is almost always someone in golf who is injured or can’t play in an event, but not this week, as all 50 players from the Official World Golf Rankings are in the field. Let’s look at the odds and predictions for THE PLAYERS.
THE PLAYERS Odds
Jason Day +1200
Rory McIlroy +1200
Jordan Spieth +1250
Justin Thomas +1250
Dustin Johnson +1450
Rickie Fowler +1600
Jon Rahm +2100
Justin Rose +2400
Henrik Stenson +2700
Patrick Reed +2900
Paul Casey +2900
Phil Mickelson +3000
Sergio Garcia +3500
Tiger Woods +3500
Bryson Dechambeau +4500
Hideki Matsuyama +4500
Billy Horschel +5000
Tommy Fleetwood +5500
Alex Noren +6000
Francesco Molinari +6000
Matt Kuchar +6000
Tony Finau +6000
Bubba Watson +6500
Cameron Smith +6500
Marc Leishman +6500
Patrick Cantlay +6500
Emiliano Grillo +7000
Ian Poulter +7000
Kevin Kisner +7000
Louis Oosthuizen +8500
Zach Johnson +8500
Brooks Koepka +9000
Luke List +9000
Si Woo Kim +9000
Odds Analysis
Jason Day +1200
I thought Day had a chance to cash last week at nice odds and he came through with a good win at the Wells Fargo Championship. I think there is a chance he continues his strong play and wins this event as well. We are not getting +2000 this week, and the field is much better, but Day should be in the mix.
Rory McIlroy +1200
Rory has had top 10 finishes at TPC Sawgrass, but he has never won this event. This could be the year he does. Rory said he made good progress last week at the Wells Fargo Championship "I felt like my game improved as the week went on. I saw some decent signs [on Saturday]," McIlroy said to Sky Sports. "The game definitely felt like it got better heading into the weekend. Hopefully I can build upon that next week." I think Rory could contend this week, but I was hoping for better odds than +1200.
Jordan Spieth +1250
I say this almost every time that Spieth tees it up; he is overvalued. Do you know the last time Spieth won a tournament? It has been almost a full calendar year. I still don’t like the way Spieth is putting and until he shows me he isn’t questioning every putt he hits, I am not taking him.
Justin Thomas +1250
I was really disappointed in Thomas last week at the Wells Fargo Championship, as I thought he would play better. Maybe he will just flip a switch and turn it on this week, but for now, I am leery.
Dustin Johnson +1450
I haven’t seen that much great play from Johnson in recent weeks. He is still ranked No. 1 in the world but that could end this week. Johnson has not won a tournament since January. I am looking elsewhere.
Rickie Fowler +1600
I would like to make a case for taking Rickie, but he simply doesn’t win enough tournaments to be listed among the favorites.
Henrik Stenson +2700
My longshot this week is Stenson who has four top 10 finishes in his last six events. He won this event in 2009 and it is easy to see why, as he hits the ball straight and he is excellent in greens-in-regulation. It is not often that you get Stenson at odds this high.
Course: TPC Sawgrass is one of the most famous golf courses in the world because it features the 17th hole, which has the island green. The course measures 7,189 yards and is a par 72. The course was designed by Pete Dye and has a stadium design so that fans can see a lot of the action. There are doglegs in both directions, so players always get a challenge. Although No. 17 gets the bulk of the attention, the 12th is a par 4 drivable hole that is exciting.
TV Coverage: NBC and Golf Channel
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu. THE PLAYERS is scheduled for May 10-13, 2018. TPC Sawgrass will host the event and CBS and Golf Channel will televise it.
