THE PLAYERS Championship 2026 Prediction: Look to Ludvig

• Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass has hosted every PLAYERS since 1974

• Rory McIlroy defends but still has a back concern

• World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is chasing a third Sawgrass win

THE PLAYERS Championship 2026 Odds

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THE PLAYERS Championship 2026 Predictions

• Ludvig Aberg each-way at +2500 (1/5, 7 places) with BetMGM

• Collin Morikawa to beat Xander Schauffele over 72 holes at -170 with Caesars

• Viktor Hovland for Top 10 at +350 with BetMGM

THE PLAYERS Championship 2026 Intro

We’ve already had some big Signature Events in 2026 but THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass takes it up a notch.

The winner on Sunday walks away with a massive $4.5m jackpot and also a five-year exemption for this event and all four majors.

The Pete Dye creation is a work of art, feeling claustrophobic on the ground despite not looking too intimidating on the scorecard.

It punishes wayward shots and, of course, that’s highlighted most at the Florida layout’s penultimate hole.

The iconic island green at 17 so often proves a card-wrecker and could lead to a plethora of water balls - especially if the windy Thursday afternoon forecast proves correct. 

It’s not a surprise that the cream so often rises to the crop here.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have won four of the last while, scan the list, and only one winner in the last nine editions isn’t a Major champion.

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Last 5 Winners of THE PLAYERS Championship

Course Notes

• TPC Sawgrass is a par 72 measuring 7,352 yards

• The rough has been allowed to grow to 4.5 inches this year

• The tournament moved back to a March date in 2019

• The Pete Dye design features Bermuda greens 

• Greg Norman (1994) holds the 72-hole record of 264

• Tom Hoge (2023) has the 18-hole course record of 62

Favorites to Win THE PLAYERS Championship 2026

Scottie Scheffler (+480) at FanDuel

It seems a bit odd to be questioning a player who has finished 12th and 24th on his last two starts but those two finishes are just not what we’ve come to expect from the amazing Scottie Scheffler. The 12th place at Riviera ended a run of 18 straight top 10s while 24th at Bay Hill was his worst finish since February 2025. He lost strokes on Approach in both those starts so that has to be a concern. Scheffler won this event in both 2023 and 2024 so knows how to crack the code at TPC Sawgrass but +450 is the biggest price we’ve seen him at in a long time.

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Rory McIlroy (+1600) at FanDuel

Rory is also a two-time Sawgrass winner (no mean feat; Tiger only won here twice) after backing up his 2019 victory with a dramatic playoff triumph over J.J. Spaun last year. McIlroy was runner-up at The Genesis two starts ago but had to withdraw at Bay Hill on Saturday after rounds of 72-68. It looked a precautionary move but the Masters champion now won’t arrive at Sawgrass until Wednesday as he continues to receive treatment on what he describes as a “stubborn” back injury. 

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Collin Morikawa (+1800) at FanDuel

Morikawa’s elite ball striking suggests he’s a perfect fit for Sawgrass although his record is open to improvement. Starting from his debut in 2021 his results read 41-MC-13-45-10 although he shot pre-cut 7-under 65s in both 2023 and 2025. He’s jumped to third in the betting this year due to some elite play - especially with the irons - in February and March. Morikawa closed 62-67 on the weekend to win at Pebble and then followed that with seventh at Riviera and fifth at Bay Hill last Sunday.

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Aberg Can Bring ‘A’ Game

A world-class player usually lands this event and, with doubts over Scheffler and McIlroy, I’m going to go with Ludvig Aberg.

The Swede started the season slowly but is really rounding into form and built on a good final 54 holes at Pebble with 20th at Riviera and then third at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Aberg’s upturn in form has been fuelled by improvements in all areas and he’s recorded positive numbers in every major Strokes Gained category in his last two starts.

With the rough up, ranking 2nd for Driving Accuracy at Bay Hill is an obvious plus while 3rd for SG: Approach there is exactly what we want: a player showing elite form with his irons.

Aberg, who played the junior event here as a youngster, finished eighth on his PLAYERS debut in 2024 so he has course form too. He did that via three 67s and a 72. 

This demanding course requires a cool head and Aberg is one of the calmest players around.

Back him each-way at +2500 with BetMGM (1/5, 7 places).

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Morikawa to Beat Schauffele

For a 72-hole match bet, I’m looking for a player bang in form against someone perhaps trying to find something.

And Caesars Sportsbook provides that opportunity by pitting Collin Morikawa against Xander Schauffele.

Morikawa won at Pebble and has backed that up with fifth (Genesis) and seventh (Arnold Palmer).

Schauffele finished 19-7-24 in those same three events.

Although Schauffele has a couple of second places here (2018 and 2024), he’s missed three cuts and also finished 72nd last year.

Morikawa is a far more consistent 4-for-5 with 10th last year and 13th in 2023 and also looks to be on the right side of the draw with the weather suggesting early/late is more favorable than late/early (Schauffele).  

Back Morikawa to win this all-American duel at -170.

Bet Match up to $250 - Win or Lose at Caesars

Hovland For Top 10

The Top 10 market has brought us winners at +500, +450, +400 and +200 in the last six events.

This week let’s take Viktor Hovland to give us more success.

The Norwegian was 13th at Bay Hill last week while prior to that he’d cracked the top 10 in six of his previous 12 starts in Florida.

That 50% strike-rate is matched at TPC Sawgrass where he’s logged third and ninth in two of his last four visits.

Hovland struck it well with his irons and gained strokes with the putter at Bay Hill so looks to have his game in ideal shape for a strong week. 

He’s +350 for a Top 10 with BetMGM.

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How to Watch THE PLAYERS Championship 2026

• Tournament: THE PLAYERS Championship

• Location: TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

• Date: Thursday March 12 - Sunday March 15

• How to Watch: Thursday-Friday 1 p.m.-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), Saturday 2 p.m-7 p.m. (NBC), Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC). And all four days on Sky Sports