The Players Championship: PGA Tour Betting Odds
Often referred top as the “fifth major,” one of the best fields of the year will tee it up starting Thursday at the big-money Players Championship. Two players opened as co-favourites on the golf odds.
Ask any player on the PGA Tour which tournament he’d want to win most and it would be one of the four major championships, but the Players Championship almost surely would be next as it has the biggest purse on Tour ($20 million US this year), a five-year Tour exemption and three-year exemptions to all the majors. This event moved to March in 2019.
Maybe the most famous hole in American golf is the island green par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course outside Jacksonville, Fla. Overall, the course is a par 72 at around 7,250 yards. It’s not a particularly difficult track overall as double-digits under par has won every year since 2009.
The Players Championship does have a unique playoff: Three-hole aggregate and then sudden death if still tied. The last playoff was in 2015 when Rickie Fowler won.
American Justin Thomas is the defending champion, finishing at 14-under 274 and one shot up on England’s Lee Westwood in 2021. Thomas played a final-round stretch of four holes in 5 under par and his first 17 greens in regulation before just missing on 18. Standing on the No. 9 tee box, Thomas was three shots behind Westwood’s 12-under lead. Thomas’ 12-under 132 on the weekend was the lowest in Players Championship history.
Rather amazingly, no one has repeated in this tournament. A handful have won at least twice but never back-to-back. Jack Nicklaus won in 1974, ’76 and ’78.
A few stars are not playing this week: Bryson DeChambeau (withdrew Sunday), Phil Mickelson (taking time away) and Tiger Woods (injured). It will be the first Players Championship since 1994 without either Woods or Mickelson. Tiger will be on hand, though, as he will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame at a ceremony Wednesday.
The Players Championship Golf Odds
World No. 1 Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa are both +1000 favourites with defending champion Justin Thomas at +1100. Only Rahm played at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, finishing T17. Rahm’s best finish in the Players is T9 last year. Thomas also has a T3 at this event (2016) with his 2021 victory. Morikawa made his debut here last year and was T41.
Rory McIlroy is +1500 with Victor Hovland +1600, Patrick Cantlay +1600 and Scottie Scheffler +1700. Scheffler won for the second time in his past three PGA Tour starts Sunday at the Arnold Palmer. He’s probably the Player of the Year favourite right now, although it’s obviously early. His debut at the Players was last year and a missed cut. McIlroy won here in 2019 but missed the cut in 2021. He was T13 at the Arnold Palmer. Hovland has a win already this season and was a co-runner-up at the Arnold Palmer. He missed the cut at the 2021 Players. Cantlay’s best result at this event is T22.
Stephen Ames, who has dual nationality in Trinidad and Tobago and Canada, won this event in 2006 by six shots and was a runner-up in 2002. He’s the lone Canadian winner.
Corey Conners was the top Canadian last year at seventh, rocketing up 15 spots on Sunday thanks to a 66. Adam Hadwin was T29, Nick Taylor T48 and Mackenzie Hughes missed the cut. Conners is +4000 this week off a T11 at the Arnold Palmer. Hughes is +11100, Hadwin +14400, Taylor Pendrith +20800 and Roger Sloan +30900. Conners is the +170 favourite as top Canadian.
The Players Championship Golf Predictions
Take Thomas and former champion Sergio Garcia for Top 10s, but we are going with Corey Conners to win at +4000 as he’s one of the best ball-strikers on Tour.
