PGA Tour Picks: Players Championship

By Tom LaMarre

Several players made early scouting trips to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., ahead of The Players Championship this week, even if they have played often in the so-called “Fifth Major.”

That’s because the tournament, which annually features the best field of the season on the PGA Tour, has moved back from May to its original playing date in March and Pete Dye’s classic course figures to play much differently.

“This golf course (in May) is far shorter,” said Tiger Woods, who won the tournament in March of 2001 and May of 2012. “It’s always hot (in May), ball’s always flying, and with it all being Bermuda, we’re getting run-out.

“In March, that’s not always the case. There are numerous years that … we’ve all had mud balls, and you have to deal with that type of difficulty coming into these greens. (In May), the ball’s rolling, ball’s flying, it’s usually dry. These greens are always dry (then), so it’s very different.”

Woods, who will play at TPC Sawgrass after missing the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week because of a neck strain, says he doesn’t have a preference, March or May, “Because I’ve won them both.”

Jack Nicklaus won The Players a record three times, while Woods is tied with Davis Love III, Fred Couples, Hal Sutton and Steve Elkington at two titles apiece.

One of the players at TPC Sawgrass last week was Phil Mickelson, who after missing the cut in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, was not only checking out course but trying to decide if he was going to play in the tournament for the 26th time.

“I’m curious to see how it goes this year, because the course is going to be a totally different one than what we saw in May,” said Mickelson, whose only victory in the tournament came the first time it was played in May in 2007. “So I’m curious to see if it’s better for me or not.

“It’s not one I feel like I have to play. It’s not a must-play for me because I’m 48 and I’ve played it 25 times and I’ve already won it. If I were young and early in my career, I would say yes, because I think it’s as close to a major as it can get. But it’s not the best course for me.”

Mickelson apparently has decided to play, meaning the top 50 players in the World Golf Rankings will be in the field at TPC Sawgrass.

Webb Simpson won The Players last year and will be joined in the field by an impressive list of former champions that includes Woods, Mickelson, Jason Day (2016) of Australia, Rickie Fowler (2015), Martin Kaymer (2014), Matt Kuchar (2012), Henrik Stenson (2009) of Sweden, Sergio Garcia (2008) of Spain, Si Woo Kim (2017) of South Korea and Adam Scott (2004) of Australia.

However, most the players given the best chances to win The Players this year have never done it, as Fowler is the only player in the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings to have won it.

Those favorites include Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Justin Rose of England, Brooks Koepka and Francesco Molinari of Italy, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.

Perhaps one of them will March to the title this week.

BEST BETS

1. Dustin Johnson, United States – DJ is rested coming off his victory in the WGC Mexico after also winning the Saudi International last month, and has regained the world No. 1 ranking. However, his best finish in 10 starts at TPC Sawgrass was a tie for 12th two years ago and he tied for 17th last year, so it seems he’s starting to figure it out.
2. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland – Even though he hasn’t won since the Arnold Palmer Invitational last year, Rory is on a run of five straight finishes in the top six and just can’t finish things off on Sunday right now. McIlroy has three top-10 finishes in the Players, the best a tie for sixth in 2004, but also has missed the cut four times, including last year.
3. Francesco Molinari, Italy – Comes into the Players off his brilliant 64 in the final round that gave him the victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Has been hit-and-miss at TPC Sawgrass, with four top-10 results including ties for sixth in 2014 and 2017, but has missed the cut in his four other appearances in the Fifth Major, including last year.
4. Justin Thomas, United States – Although he hasn’t won this season, Thomas has been in good form with five results in the top 10, four in the top five, and seemed to be headed to victory until shooting 75 in the last round of the Genesis Open. Makes his fifth start in the Players, with his best result a tie for third in 2016 and he tied for 11th a year ago.
5. Rickie Fowler, United States – Rickie claimed the biggest of his five PGA Tour titles in 2015 at TPC Sawgrass in a playoff over Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner, and also tied for second in 2012. However, he also has five missed the cut five times. Has a victory in the Waste Management Phoenix Open among three finishes in the top five this season.
6. Sergio Garcia, Spain – Before winning the Masters in 2017, Garcia’s biggest victory came in the 2008 Players Championship, when he beat Paul Goydos in a playoff. He has five other top-10s at TPC Sawgrass, including runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2015. Sergio is coming off a tie for ninth in the Honda and a tie for sixth in the WGC-Mexico.
7. Xander Schauffele, United States – The FedEx Cup points leader thanks to victories in the WGC-HSBC Champions and the Sentry TOC, Schauffele has finished in the top 25 in seven of his eight starts this season. In his first start in the Players Championship last season, he finished in a tie for second, four strokes behind winner Webb Simpson.
8. Brooks Koepka, United States – Had a hiccup last week when he missed the cut in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but it came after a tie for second in the Honda Classic and he has a victory in the CJ Cup this season. With three major titles in last two years, Koepka steps up for big events, but his best finish in the Players was a tie for 11th last season.
9. Justin Rose, England – Another top player who has not played well at TPC Sawgrass, Rose’s tie for fourth in 2014 is his only top-10 finish in 15 starts on the course, but he closed with a 66 last year to record a respectable tie for 23rd. Reigning FedEx Cup champ has wins in the Indonesian Masters and Farmers Insurance Open since November.
10. Tiger Woods, United States – The only player who has victories at TPC Sawgrass in March (2001) and May (2012), Woods missed the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week because of a neck strain. Tiger, who also was second in 2000 and eighth in 2009, has three top 20s in as many starts this year after winning the Tour Championship in October.

SLEEPERS

1. Matt Wallace, England – Having won three times on the European Tour last year, Wallace finished T6 in the Arnold Palmer and T20 in the Honda the last two weeks.
2. Keith Mitchell, United States – The 27-year-old Mitchell came out of nowhere the last two weeks by winning the Honda Classic and finishing T6 in Arnold Palmer Invitational. 3. Sung Kang, South Korea – A two-time winner on the Korean Tour, Kang is coming off a T6 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in addition to a T10 in the Sony Open in Hawaii.
3. Adam Long, United States – Has already won the Desert Classic in his rookie year, and Long ended string of five missed cuts with a T10 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
4. Sungjae Im, South Korea – The 20-year-old, who won twice on the Web.com Tour last year, finished T3 in API after a T4 in the Safeway Open and a T10 in the Phoenix Open.

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