2024 THE PLAYERS Championship Preview and Betting Odds

The Players Championship is widely regarded as the PGA Tour’s most prestigious event behind the four major championships. Held annually in mid-March at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, The Players brings together the strongest and deepest field of the golf season outside the majors. 

With a $50 million purse, the largest on the PGA Tour, The Players offers the richest top prize in golf. It is also one of five tournaments to which the PGA Tour grants “elevated status,” adding additional incentives for top players.

First played in 1974 and originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the event has built a reputation over the decades as a marquee tournament that every top professional wants to win. The exclusive Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was designed specifically to host the world’s best golfers. 

While the Players Championship lacks the history of the four Majors, its challenging setting and elite field size have cemented its status as the “fifth major” every player dreams of adding to their resume.

2024 THE PLAYERS Championship

When and Where?

The 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship will be held March 14-17 at the Players Stadium Course or TPC Sawgrass.

Where can I watch it?

NBC, Peacock, and ESPN+

TPC Sawgrass is known as one of the most challenging and recognizable courses on the PGA Tour. Designed by Pete Dye, it has hosted The Players Championship since 1982 and is specifically designed to test the world’s best golfers.

The course layout features narrow fairways lined by waste bunkers, lagoons, and mature trees. Accuracy off the tee is crucial, as the slightest mistake can result in a big number. The greens are also notoriously fast and undulating, requiring precision approach shots.

The weather forecast for tournament week at TPC Sawgrass calls for a combination of sun and clouds, with high temperatures in the mid-70s to low 80s Fahrenheit each day. Winds are expected to be moderate, in the 10 to 15 mph range throughout the week.

These pleasant conditions should allow good scoring opportunities, especially in the calmer morning surf. However, the infamous Sawgrass winds could pick up in the afternoons and make club selection and ball-striking more challenging. 

Betting odds – Top 10

• Scottie Scheffler: 6.50
• Rory McIlroy: 11.00
• Xander Schauffele: 19.00
• Justin Thomas: 23.00
• Patrick Cantlay: 23.00
• Viktor Hovland: 23.00
• Max Homa: 26.00
• Will Zalatoris: 29.00
• Hideki Matsuyama: 31.00
• Collin Morikawa: 31.00

2024 THE PLAYERS Championship – Betting picks

As defending champion and current #1 in the world, Scottie Scheffler enters the Players Championship as the clear favorite. The 27-year-old American arrives at TPC Sawgrass in top form after his dominant victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Scheffler has one win and five top 10s in 2024, cementing his position at the top of the world rankings. His combination of distance, accuracy, and putting touch makes him well-suited for Pete Dye’s challenging layout. 

Other top-ranked players expected to compete include Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Justin Thomas. McIlroy won The Players in 2019 and has routinely posted low scores at TPC Sawgrass. Schauffele is coming off four top 10s so far in 2024. Justin Thomas has dropped a bit in performance but remains one of the possible contenders for this tournament.

As for the Dark Horse selections, Max Homa and Viktor Hovland could threaten the favorites.

Finally, we have our prediction as a win for World #1, as Scheffler enters THE PLAYERS Championship on an incredible run, having won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and taking hold of World #1. His precise iron, scrambling, and putting game are perfectly suited for TPC Sawgrass.