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A total of 144 players will step foot onto the course at TPC Sawgrass this week with hopes of raising one of the biggest trophies of their respective careers. For some, the 2025 Players Championship will be as good as it gets, but for others, it could prove to be a stepping stone to bigger and better tournaments ... or perhaps another entry into a hall-of-fame résumé.
While there have been some surprises in recent Players Championships -- veterans like Lee Westwood and Jim Furyk contending or relative unknown Anirban Lahiri nearly winning in 2022 -- the recent winners have been a who's who in the game of golf.
Dating back to Tiger Woods' last Players title in 2013, only two non-major winners (at the time of their title or down the road) have entered the winner's circle at the PGA Tour's flagship event. Those players are Rickie Fowler and Si Woo Kim.
As for the rest? Well, it's been who you would expect. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler became the first player to successfully defend his title at TPC Sawgrass with his miraculous come-from-behind victory last season. A win this week to complete a rare three-peat would give him the most Players crowns alongside Jack Nicklaus (three).
Cameron Smith, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy round out the names on the Players trophy since the tournament transitioned from May to March. While the switch in the time of year switched up certain aspects of the golf course, it did not alter the quality of winner with Webb Simpson, Jason Day and Martin Kaymer all coming through at this tournament as well.
With this in mind, let's take a closer look at the nine golfers -- only 6% of the field -- with the best chance to win this year's edition of The Players. Be sure to check out a PGA Championship TV schedule and coverage guide so you know exactly when and where to watch all 72 holes this week.
2025 Players Championship predictions, favorites
Odds via SportsLine consensus
| 1 | |
| The only trend going against Scheffler is that it is immensely hard to win the same tournament three years in a row, let alone The Players. Early season struggles off the tee were alleviated last week at Bay Hill as he led the field off the tee while ranking inside the top five in greens in regulation and scrambling. The putter was ineffectiv, but it has largely been serviceable since this time last year. He's the rightful favorite and still the clear-cut world No. 1, but there's no way he can pass Tiger Woods and match Nicklaus' tournament total in a three-year span ... right?! It only sounds crazy until it happens. Odds: 4-1 | |
| 2 | |
| Nine. That's how many top-five finishes Morikawa has registered since his last victory with last week's runner-up result adding to the running total. Some say he lost the ability to close; I say he's winning this week. Everything is clicking in his game at the moment -- his iron play has returned to peak Morikawa, and his short-game improvements from last year have sustained. Morikawa is playing too well to go winless for this long, and he's a great fit at Sawgrass. It's as simple as that. Odds: 12-1 | |
| 3 | |
| It appeared McIlroy was going to make his way into The Players much more sure of himself compared to last season. Then he decided to switch his driver and fairway woods for the first three rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. With his old clubs back in the bag again -- which helped him lead the fields in driving at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach -- McIlroy should bounce back into contention. Amid a stretch of carding big numbers in bunches, McIlroy shared the first-round lead last year. This year, he is much steadier as he navigated Bay Hill without a single double bogey. It may not seem like much, but that is huge for a player who has been preaching patience all year. Odds: 10-1 | |
| 4 | |
| It's easy to forget Åberg is seeing some of these golf courses for only the second time of his career this season. A top-10 finisher in his debut last year, the Swedish super computer showed his software can effectively navigate the trickery of TPC Sawgrass. He comes in with plenty of confidence off winning Woods' tournament at Torrey Pines and has a veteran caddie, Joe Skovron (who won this tournament with Fowler) on the bag alongside him. Odds: 18-1 | |
| 5 | |
| He was the man in front for most of last year's tournament before a couple late bogeys upended his chances. Schauffele comes into this year's tournament in a much different position as he returned from injury last week at Bay Hill and may still be getting rid of some rust. The two-time major champion struck the ball well at Arnie's Place only for his short game to let him down. It may still be too early, but Schauffele's name doesn't drift into the 20s on the oddsboard too often these days. Odds: 22-1 | |
| 6 | |
| He isn't technically a former champion, but some still claim the 2020 Players belonged to Matsuyama. He has done everything but enter the winner's circle at TPC Sawgrass as the man from Japan has seven top-25 finishes in nine tournament appearances. Those results include a pair of quality outings the last two years when Matsuyama finished T6 and solo fifth, respectively. The ball striking has been mixed the last month, but his short game remains world class. Odds: 25-1 | |
| 7 | |
| When you're hot, you're hot. Scheffler won in back-to-back weeks last season, so why can't Henley? The Arnold Palmer Invitational winner will be brimming with confidence when he steps foot onto the property after out dueling two-time major champion Morikawa at Bay Hill. Before missing the cut last season, Henley had grabbed back-to-back top 20s at this tournament. Odds: 30-1 | |
| 8 | |
| We have to start putting some respect on Straka's name. Since the beginning of the year, Straka ranks fifth -- yes, fifth -- in total strokes gained thanks to a simple two-pronged approach of hitting fairways and greens in bunches. The big Austrian has a solid history at TPC Sawgrass, including a pair of top 20s in his last three trips. He rolled the rock beautifully last week at Bay Hill en route to a T5 -- his sixth top-15 finish this year. Odds: 50-1 | |
| 9 | |
| The last spot on this list could have gone to a few guys -- Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley and Nick Taylor among them -- but it is given to Rose. The Englishman can still keep up with the big names on golf courses that require thinking, and TPC Sawgrass certainly fits that criteria. Rose arrives off a top-10 finish at Bay Hill and a contention run last month at Pebble Beach. He is only two years removed from finishing T6 in this tournament. Odds: 150-1 | |
Who will win The Players Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that's nailed 13 golf majors and is up nearly $9,000 since June 2020.
