Welcome to THE PLAYERS Championship, routinely the most anticipated week in golf outside of the major championships.
One of the best fields in golf heads to TPC Sawgrass, with a $25 million purse, 600 FedEx Cup points, and one of the most prestigious titles on Tour hanging in the balance.
We break it all down in our PLAYERS Championship betting preview below, including outright odds, free golf picks, and more.
Live odds to win 2023 PLAYERS Championship
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THE PLAYERS Championship picks and predictions
Editor's note: These picks were made prior to the start of the tournament.
Jason Day Top 20 (+150 at bet365)
If Jason Day had a win to compliment the absolute blistering form he’s been in this season, we wouldn’t still be seeing odds like this — so it’s only right we back him until the wheels fall off.
The Aussie is working on four straight Top 10s — three of which came against elevated fields — and has finished T21 or better in nine of his last 10 starts going back to October.
Looking at just his last five, all of which were Top 20s, Day has gained a whopping 29.76 strokes putting, including a second-best +9.84 at the American Express.
But that’s not to say he’s been one-dimensional. His analytical profile is as well-rounded as anyone this season (27th off-the-tee, 25th on approach, second in scrambling) and he actually ranks sixth in total strokes gained (+1.944 per round).
His recent history here is less inspiring (MC in 2022, T35 in 2021) but he hasn’t consistently played this well in years. The 2016 PLAYERS champ logged five Top 20s between 2011 and 2019 and I expect another to come this week.
Keith Mitchell Top 40 (-105 at bet365)
I backed Keith Mitchell to best Tom Kim at Bay Hill last week and the visor-wearing American — or what the broadcasts are calling Cashmere Keith — delivered.
His biggest strength is his driver and it’s been firing on all cylinders in recent months. He’s gained strokes off-the-tee in 18 (!) of his last 19 Tour starts and has gained 4.0 shots or more in five of his last six.
That only alleviates pressure from the rest of his game and he’s started to put it all together with some solid results: four Top 25s in his last five starts, including a T4 at Pebble Beach and a fifth-place finish at Riviera.
He finished T13 here a year ago after a run of strong finishes and barring him forgetting his driver at home, all signs point to yet another encouraging result.
THE PLAYERS Championship field and favorites
This event made a habit of pulling the best non-major field on the Tour calendar and this week's lineup is no different — designated status or not.
We're looking at 49 of the Top 50 on the FedEx Cup points list as well as 43 of the OWGR Top 50. Of course, that's headlined by 2019 PLAYERS winner Rory McIlroy (+950), World No. 1 Jon Rahm (+1,100), and Scottie Scheffler (+1,100) — making up a well-defined top tier on the odds board.
That second tier is lined with Patrick Cantlay at +1,600, 2021 champion Justin Thomas (+2,000), six-time PGA Tour winner Max Homa (+2,200), and Collin Morikawa at 25/1.
Defending champion Cameron Smith is controversially not in the field this week as his commitment to LIV Golf makes him ineligible at standard PGA Tour events.
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THE PLAYERS Championship recent winners and odds history
Let's take a look at some recent winners of THE PLAYERS Championship and their closing odds to win:
| Year | Golfer | Closing odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | +3,000 |
| 2021 | Justin Thomas | +1,800 |
| 2020 | No event: COVID-related cancelation. | N/A |
| 2019 | Rory McIlroy | +1,200 |
| 2018 | Webb Simpson | +6,000 |
| 2017 | Si Woo Kim | +40,000 |
| 2016 | Jason Day | +1,000 |
| 2015 | Rickie Fowler | +5,000 |
| 2014 | Martin Kaymer | +6,000 |
| 2013 | Tiger Woods | +800 |
| 2012 | Matt Kuchar | +4,000 |
| 2011 | K.J. Choi | +4,000 |
| 2010 | Tim Clark | +10,000 |
Odds courtesy of GolfOdds.
The PLAYERS Championship Odds FAQs
Scottie Scheffler is a +550 betting favorite to win THE PLAYERS Championship in 2024, with Rory McIlroy second in line at +1,200.
Scottie Scheffler won the 2023 PLAYERS Championship with 10/1 odds and is on the board at +550 to defend his title at TPC Sawgrass this week.
THE PLAYERS Championship is held annually at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
The 2024 PLAYERS Championship has a purse of $25 million, with $4.5 million going to the winner. It's the best purse of the PGA Tour season, including majors.
