The PGA Tour's Flagship event, The Players Championship, begins on Thursday with a stellar field competing for glory at TPC Sawgrass.
The Players Championship takes place at TPC Sawgrass this week and we have picked out four best bets for the PGA Tour’s Flagship event.
The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass remains one of the most demanding and democratic tests in golf. Past champions describe it as a venue that rewards every skillset but punishes any lapse in concentration.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, winners of the past three titles between them, both arrive with question marks over them.
Defending champion McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational before his third round with a back injury and Scheffler posted his second consecutive finish outside the top-10 at Bay Hill.
The top two in the world cannot be completely discounted, but recent form has historically mattered more than any single metric at Sawgrass, and several other players arrive in better touch. Here are our best golf betting tips for the event.
Selections
Collin Morikawa to win and each‑way @ 14/1
Min Woo Lee to win and each‑way @ 28/1
Viktor Hovland Top 5 Finish @ 13/2
Aaron Rai Top 10 Finish @ 15/2
Morikawa primed for another big week
Collin Morikawa has resembled the best player in the world over the past month, following his Pebble Beach Pro-Am victory with a tied-seventh at Riviera and a solo fifth at Bay Hill.
His elite iron play has returned – he ranks fifth in approach – but the real difference is the putter.
At Pebble Beach, he was 44th in putting, then 23rd at Riviera, and 13th at Bay Hill, all while gaining strokes on the greens. That is the formula that makes him dangerous at Sawgrass, where he posted his best finish last year (T10).
With his confidence soaring and his game trending in the same way McIlroy’s did before winning here last year, Morikawa looks a standout outright option.
Tip 1: Collin Morikawa to win and each‑way @ 14/1
Min Woo Lee ready to take the next step
Min Woo Lee has looked more focused and more polished this season, posting three straight finishes of 12th or better. He is already three‑for‑three in cuts made at Sawgrass, including a tied-sixth when paired with Scheffler in the final group three years ago.
His combination of power, creativity and a hot putter makes him a threat on a course where every facet matters. With momentum building and confidence high, Lee looks poised to contend for the biggest win of his career.
Tip 2: Min Woo Lee to win and each‑way @ 28/1
Hovland’s iron play makes him a top‑five threat
Viktor Hovland has gained strokes on approach in 24 of his last 25 starts – an extraordinary level of consistency. Sawgrass rewards elite long‑iron play, and the Norwegian thrives on par‑72 layouts with four reachable par‑fives.
He has been boom‑or‑bust in this event, with two top‑10s and two missed cuts, but his ceiling is enormous.
Tip 3: Viktor Hovland Top‑5 @ 13/2
Rai’s accuracy suits Sawgrass perfectly
Aaron Rai has two top‑20s in three Players appearances and consistently hits fairways and greens – a crucial combination at Sawgrass.
He may lack the firepower to win, but he is exactly the type who quietly grinds his way into the top 10.
Tip 4: Aaron Rai Top‑10 @ 15/2
