The Players Championship 2026 Betting Tips: Five to shine at Sawgrass

The PGA Tour season has been ramping up in recent weeks, with Akshay Bhatia winning the third Signature Event of the year at Bay Hill last week. However, it now moves up a gear, as another elite field prepares for the 52^nd edition of THE PLAYERS Championship at the brilliant TPC Sawgrass.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley is back with five more each-way picks this week, so let's check out his THE PLAYERS Championship 2026 Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights...

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TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

THE PLAYERS Championship was first held in 1974 and is the flagship event of the PGA Tour. It has been staged here at the iconic TPC Sawgrass since 1982.

With victories in 1974, 1976 and 1978, Jack Nicklaus remains the most successful player in the tournament's history. That said, all three of those wins came before the event moved to its current home.

Since the move, seven players have won the tournament twice at TPC Sawgrass: Fred Couples (1984, 1996), Steve Elkington (1991, 1997), Hal Sutton (1983, 2000), Davis Love III (1992, 2003), Tiger Woods (2001, 2013), Scottie Scheffler (2023, 2024) and Rory McIlroy (2019, 2025).

Last five winners:

• 2025

Winner: Rory McIlroy (-12, playoff)

Runner-up: J.J. Spaun (-12)

• 2024

Winner: Scottie Scheffler (-20)

Runners-up: Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman (-19)

• 2023

Winner: Scottie Scheffler (-17)

Runner-up: Tyrrell Hatton (-12)

• 2022

Winner: Cameron Smith (-13)

Runner-up: Anirban Lahiri (-12)

• 2021

Winner: Justin Thomas (-14)

Runner-up: Lee Westwood (-13)

In a fantastic year that saw him finally claim that green jacket at Augusta, Rory McIlroy also notched up his second PLAYERS Championship title at TPC Sawgrass, defeating eventual U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun in a playoff.

However, having pulled out of last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational due to a back injury, his preparation for the defence has been less than ideal.

THE COURSE

TPC Sawgrass

• Original architect / Year opened: Pete Dye / 1980
• Latest renovation: The classic Dye design has been updated several times in the last 40+ years, including substantial renovations in 2006 and 2016. Prior to last year's edition, new tees were added to the 2^nd and 11^th holes, and the course was lengthened 72 yards
• Par / Yardage: Par 72 / 7352 yards
• Hole breakdown:
  • 4x par 3s (141-236yds)
  • 10x par 4s (365-485yds)
  • 4x par 5s (537-601yds)
• Course style: Pristine and strategic parkland course that places strain on every facet of the game. Manmade mounds, sandy waste areas and trees frame the holes, whilst water is a prominent feature throughout
• Fairways:
  • Doglegging fairways are average-width overall, beginning narrow and become more generous as the course progresses
  • Abundant and well placed bunkers offer protection, as does the punishing four-inch-thick rough
  • Players must position the ball smartly to attack the greens from the optimum angle
  • Ranks among the five toughest driving courses on the PGA Tour in the last five years
• Greens:
  • Smallish (5,500 sq. ft.), fast, and undulating bermudagrass-based greens overseeded with poa trivialis
  • Often narrow/shallow in shape and multi-tiered, getting it close is tricky and players can be left with slippery downhill putts
  • Littered with false fronts and run-offs leading into a combination of tightly-mown chipping areas, thick rough, and heavy bunkering, they're strongly protected
  • That said, the overseeding in recent years has made them easier to putt
• Defences:
  • Water is in play throughout, making an appearance on 17 holes
  • Strong bunkering
  • Players forced to hit shots into ever-changing wind directions
• Average winning score: -14.7 (last 10 editions)

TPC Sawgrass is a thrill-ride of a course that is all about fine margins, where seemingly gettable birdie chances can be turned into bogeys if players are just a fraction out. It has countless memorable holes, but few finishes in golf are as iconic as the water-laden closing stretch from 16-18.

It begins with the 537-yard par-5 16^th, which is reachable for most but demands smart positioning from the tee. The hole moves right-to-left with trees on the left, thick rough on the right, and water guarding both the lay-up area and the long, sloping green.

Next comes the famous 141-yard par-3 17^th, where the island green is fully exposed to the wind. With a severely sloping surface and an amphitheatre-style crowd surrounding the hole, any slight misjudgement can quickly lead to disaster in the water.

The tournament then concludes with the 462-yard par-4 18^th, one of the most nerve-jangling finishing holes on the PGA Tour. Water runs the entire length of the left side of this sweeping right-to-left dogleg, forcing players to decide between a risky line that shortens the approach, or a safer route from the right that can leave an unenviable shot from the trees.

THE WEATHER

Thunderstorms have been present around Ponte Vedra Beach in recent days and they are currently forecast to return on Thursday morning. However, we look to have a largely bright, warm (with temperatures around 25°C) and clear week from that point on.

A strong 15mph breeze will accompany the storms in the opening round, but that is predicted to decrease over the following days, with general wind speeds of 6-9mph on show from Friday to Sunday.

KEY STATS

SG: Approach / Greens-in-Regulation (GIR) / Proximity from 125-175 yards

Tee-to-green quality is usually required to master the demands of TPC Sawgrass. However, due to small, resistant greens, it's no surprise to see that excellence in approach, especially in that short-to-mid-iron range, has been absolutely vital.

• 2025
  • Rory McIlroy (Winner): 5^th in SG: Approach
  • J. Spaun (2^nd): 8^th in SG: Approach / 6^th in GIR
  • Tom Hoge (3^rd): 2^nd in SG: Approach
  • Akshay Bhatia (3^rd): 9^th in SG: Approach
• 2024
  • Scottie Scheffler (Winner): 7^th in SG: Approach / 3^rd in GIR
  • Brian Harman (2^nd): 1^st in SG: Approach / 1^st in GIR
  • Wyndham Clark (2^nd): 8^th in SG: Approach / 4^th in GIR
  • Xander Schauffele (2^nd): 14^th in SG: Approach / 13^th in GIR
• 2023
  • Scottie Scheffler (Winner): 4^th in SG: Approach / 1^st in GIR
  • Tyrrell Hatton (2^nd): 3^rd in SG: Approach / 6^th in GIR
  • Tom Hoge (3^rd): 2^nd in SG: Approach
  • Viktor Hovland (3^rd): 5^th in SG: Approach / 13^th in GIR
• 2022
  • Cameron Smith (Winner): 5^th in SG: Approach
  • Anirban Lahiri (2^nd): 13^th in SG: Approach
  • Paul Casey (3^rd): 4^th in SG: Approach
  • Keegan Bradley (5^th): 10^th in SG: Approach / 11^th in GIR
• 2021
  • Justin Thomas (Winner): 5^th in SG: Approach
  • Lee Westwood (2^nd): 15^th in SG: Approach / 3^rd in GIR
  • Bryson DeChambeau (3^rd): 7^th in SG: Approach
  • Talor Gooch (5^th): 4^th in SG: Approach

SG: Around-the-Greens (SG: ATG) / Scrambling

With low GIR percentages and an exacting scrambling test, players with a high-class short game have thrived at TPC Sawgrass.

• 2025
  • J. Spaun (2^nd): 5^th in SG: ATG / 11^th in scrambling
  • Lucas Glover (3^rd): 4^th in SG: ATG
  • Tom Hoge (3^rd): 5^th in scrambling
  • Akshay Bhatia (3^rd): 10^th in scrambling
• 2024
  • Scottie Scheffler (Winner): 6^th in SG: ATG / 10^th in scrambling
  • Xander Schauffele (2^nd): 12^th in SG: ATG / 5^th in scrambling
  • Wyndham Clark (2^nd): 14^th in scrambling
• 2023
  • Scottie Scheffler (Winner): 4^th in SG: ATG
• 2022
  • Cameron Smith (Winner): 3^rd in scrambling
  • Anirban Lahiri (2^nd): 5^th in scrambling
  • Paul Casey (3^rd): 2^nd in scrambling
  • Kevin Kisner (4^th): 1^st in SG: ATG / 4^th in scrambling
• 2021
  • Justin Thomas (Winner): 11^th in SG: ATG / 4^th in scrambling
  • Lee Westwood (2^nd): 15^th in SG: ATG / 5^th in scrambling
  • Brian Harman (3^rd): 10^th in scrambling
  • Paul Casey (5^th): 1^st in scrambling
  • Talor Gooch (5^th): 8^th in SG: ATG

SG: Off-the-Tee (SG: OTT) and/or Driving Accuracy

Lastly, developing into one of the toughest driving challenges on the PGA Tour, those who excel off the tee have enjoyed plenty of success around this layout.

• 2025
  • Rory McIlroy (Winner): 16^th in SG: OTT
  • J. Spaun (2^nd): 10^th in SG: OTT / 14^th in driving accuracy
  • Lucas Glover (3^rd): 5^th in driving accuracy
• 2024
  • Scottie Scheffler (Winner): 1^st in SG: OTT / 1^st in driving accuracy
  • Matt Fitzpatrick (5^th): 2^nd in SG: OTT / 12^th in driving accuracy
• 2023
  • Scottie Scheffler (Winner): 5^th in SG: OTT
  • Tom Hoge (3^rd): 6^th in driving accuracy
• 2022
  • Anirban Lahiri (2^nd): 14^th in SG: OTT / 16^th in driving accuracy
  • Keegan Bradley (5^th): 4^th in SG: OTT
• 2021
  • Justin Thomas (Winner): 10^th in SG: OTT
  • Brian Harman (3^rd): 11^th in SG: OTT / 16^th in driving accuracy

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

RBC Heritage (Harbour Town Golf Links)

We begin with fellow Pete Dye design, Harbour Town Golf Links – a strategic, tree-lined course that ranks closely to TPC Sawgrass in driving difficulty. Meanwhile, the small bermudagrass-based greens (which are also overseeded with poa trivialis) are similarly demanding and are commonly accessed with approaches from 125-175 yards.

Notable correlating form:

• Matt Kuchar: PLAYERS Championship (1^st, 3^rd) / Heritage (1^st, 2^nd)
• Webb Simpson: PLAYERS Championship (1^st) / Heritage (1^st, 2^nd)
• Justin Thomas: PLAYERS Championship (1^st) / Heritage (1^st)
• Si Woo Kim: PLAYERS Championship (1^st) / Heritage (2^nd)
• Jim Furyk: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 2^nd) / Heritage (1^st, 1^st)
• Kevin Kisner: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 4^th) / Heritage (2^nd)
• Brian Harman: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 3^rd) / Heritage (3^rd, 7^th, 7^th)
• Wyndham Clark: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / Heritage (3^rd)
• Tyrrell Hatton: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / Heritage (3^rd)
• Colt Knost: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd) / Heritage (3^rd)
• Matt Fitzpatrick: PLAYERS Championship (5^th, 9^th) / Heritage (1^st)
• Harold Varner: PLAYERS Championship (6^th, 7^th) / Heritage (2^nd, 3^rd)

Arnold Palmer Invitational (Bay Hill)

Florida form in general is a plus, but it's Bay Hill that stands out as a comp. Both are strategic, strongly bunkered, and watery courses that require precision to contend. They are well matched in most areas statistically, especially in ball-striking difficulty.

Notable correlating form:

• Jason Day: PLAYERS Championship (1^st) / API (1^st)
• Tyrrell Hatton: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / API (1^st, 2^nd)
• Kevin Kisner: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 4^th) / API (2^nd)
• Wyndham Clark: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / API (2^nd)
• Lee Westwood: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / API (2^nd)
• Kevin Chappell: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / API (2^nd)
• Akshay Bhatia: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd) / API (1^st)
• Bryson DeChambeau: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd) / API (1^st)
• Viktor Hovland: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd) / API (2^nd)
• Rafa Cabrera Bello: PLAYERS Championship (4^th) / API (3^rd)
• Matt Fitzpatrick: PLAYERS Championship (5^th, 9^th) / API (2^nd)
• Francesco Molinari: PLAYERS Championship (6^th, 6^th, 7^th) / API (1^st)
• Corey Conners: PLAYERS Championship (6^th, 7^th) / API (3^rd, 3^rd)
• Bud Cauley: PLAYERS Championship (6^th) / API (4^th)

Memorial Tournament (Muirfield Village)

The all-round test here breeds major winners, which is why it has developed noteworthy form ties with the championship-like exam at Muirfield Village. The huge demands placed on the players' tee-to-green game are akin to what we see at TPC Sawgrass, whilst approaches from 150-175 yards are among the most prevalent.

Notable correlating form:

• Matt Kuchar: PLAYERS Championship (1^st, 3^rd) / Memorial (1^st, 2^nd)
• Si Woo Kim: PLAYERS Championship (1^st) / Memorial (4^th)
• David Lingmerth: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 6^th) / Memorial (1^st)
• Anirban Lahiri: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / Memorial (2^nd)
• Kevin Chappell: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / Memorial (2^nd)
• Kevin Kisner: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 4^th) / Memorial (6^th, 8^th)
• Viktor Hovland: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd) / Memorial (1^st)
• Bryson DeChambeau: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd) / Memorial (1^st)
• Kyle Stanley: PLAYERS Championship (4^th) / Memorial (2^nd, 3^rd)
• Jason Dufner: PLAYERS Championship (5^th, 6^th) / Memorial (1^st)
• Matt Fitzpatrick: PLAYERS Championship (5^th, 9^th) / Memorial (3^rd, 5^th)

Texas Open (TPC San Antonio)

Over to Texas now and TPC San Antonio. Also possessing an exciting risk/reward finish, the course has similar-sized greens overseeded with poa trivialis, which are guarded by plentiful and penal bunkers. In addition, the fairways are of comparable width and are as tough to navigate as TPC Sawgrass.

Notable correlating form:

• Matt Kuchar: PLAYERS Championship (1^st, 3^rd) / Texas (2^nd, 3^rd)
• Si Woo Kim: PLAYERS Championship (1^st) / Texas (4^th)
• Brian Harman: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 3^rd) / Texas (1^st)
• Kevin Chappell: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / Texas (1^st, 2^nd)
• J. Spaun: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / Texas (1^st)
• Jimmy Walker: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / Texas (1^st)
• Anirban Lahiri: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / Texas (5^th)
• Akshay Bhatia: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd) / Texas (1^st)
• Lucas Glover: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd, 3^rd) / Texas (4^th)
• Tom Hoge: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd, 3^rd) / Texas (5^th, 9^th)
• Corey Conners: PLAYERS Championship (6^th, 7^th) / Texas (1^st, 1^st)
• Bud Cauley: PLAYERS Championship (6^th) / Texas (5^th)

St Jude Championship (TPC Southwind)

We'll finish with TPC Southwind – another strategic, tree-lined TPC setup where the short-to-mid irons carry major importance. With small bermudagrass greens, heavy bunkering, thick rough, and water in play on 11 holes, it has much in common with this week's host.

Notable correlating form:

• Justin Thomas: PLAYERS Championship (1^st) / St Jude (1^st)
• Webb Simpson: PLAYERS Championship (1^st) / St Jude (2^nd, 3^rd)
• Lee Westwood: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / St Jude (1^st)
• Xander Schauffele: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 2^nd) / St Jude (2^nd)
• J. Spaun: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / St Jude (2^nd)
• Charl Schwartzel: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd) / St Jude (2^nd)
• Brian Harman: PLAYERS Championship (2^nd, 3^rd) / St Jude (3^rd, 6^th)
• Lucas Glover: PLAYERS Championship (3^rd, 3^rd) / St Jude (1^st)
• Rafa Cabrera Bello: PLAYERS Championship (4^th) / St Jude (4^th)
• Matt Fitzpatrick: PLAYERS Championship (5^th, 9^th) / St Jude (4^th, 5^th, 6^th)

THE FIELD

With 23 of the world's top 25 in attendance, THE PLAYERS Championship always provides us with one of the strongest non-major fields in the game. Scottie Scheffler of course leads the way as world No. 1, with No. 2 Rory McIlroy set to defend his title despite withdrawing last week.

Rory (who also won in 2019) is one of seven former winners among the entrants, joined by Scottie Scheffler (2024, 2023), Justin Thomas (2021), Si Woo Kim (2017), Jason Day (2016), Rickie Fowler (2015), and Adam Scott (2004).

Brooks Koepka makes his first start at TPC Sawgrass since 2022. Meanwhile, among 14 debutants are DP World Tour (DPWT) graduates Marco Penge, Kristoffer Reitan and Jordan Smith, whilst the leading player on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025, Johnny Keefer, also tees it up in this event for the first time.

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Scottie Scheffler 4/1, Rory McIlroy 12/1, Collin Morikawa 18/1, Tommy Fleetwood 25/1, Ludvig Aberg 25/1, Xander Schauffele 25/1

1.75 pts Hideki Matsuyama each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 30/1

As one of the most consistent tee-to-green performers around, Hideki Matsuyama is tailormade for TPC Sawgrass. He began this season in tremendous form and while he's regressed a touch on his last two starts, there's still plenty to like about his chances this week.

Hideki impressed on two contrasting courses to start the year, finishing 13^th at the Sony Open and 11^th at the Farmers Insurance Open. The putter finally woke up in Phoenix, helping him to a runner-up finish at TPC Scottsdale, and he backed that up with another top-10 when 8^th at Pebble Beach.

A 28^th-place finish at Riviera next time out was another solid effort. Meanwhile, I'm happy to forgive a lukewarm result of 41^st at Bay Hill – a course that he's never completely got to grips with, recording just one top-10 in 12 visits.

Ranking 1^st in scrambling and 5^th in SG: ATG, his short game has been typically electric this season. He's also an encouraging 24^th in SG: Approach and excluding that week in Phoenix, the driver has largely looked under control.

With seven top-25s in 10 appearances, Matsuyama is clearly well suited to TPC Sawgrass. Finishes of 5^th in 2023 and 6^th in 2024 suggest he may even be improving at the venue, and with wins at both the Memorial Tournament (2014) and the St Jude Championship (2024) on his CV, he has the game to add this prestigious trophy to his cabinet.

1.75 pts Si Woo Kim each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 30/1

Former PLAYERS Championship winner Si Woo Kim has been superb from tee-to-green this season, ranking 2^nd on the PGA Tour. The putter has been the only thing stopping him from entering the winner’s circle, though with promise found in that regard last week, he looks ideally placed to contend for a 2^nd win in this event.

Kim hasn’t missed a cut in seven starts in 2026, and he began the season with a quartet of top-class displays: finishing 11^th at the Sony Open, 6^th at The AmEx, 2^nd at the Farmers Insurance Open, and 3^rd at the Phoenix Open. That run of top-20s ended at Pebble Beach and Riviera, but he responded positively at Bay Hill, firing four under-par rounds to finish 13^th and ranked 8^th in SG: Tee-to-Green.

The Korean’s iron play has stood out most, ranking 2^nd in SG: Approach, and he’s been especially strong with the short-to-mid irons, ranking 4^th from 150-175 yards and 25^th from 125-150. He’s also been excellent with the driver, ranking 4^th in driving accuracy and 20^th in SG: OTT, and having placed inside the top 50 in SG: ATG in each of the last eight seasons, he has the skills to handle these tricky greenside surrounds.

Si Woo memorably won this championship on just his second start in 2017, and he has gone on to record further top-10s of 6^th in 2024 and 9^th in 2021. His runner-up finish at the 2018 RBC Heritage is another plus, and having also hit the top five at Muirfield Village and TPC San Antonio, he has repeatedly shown an ability to perform on these strategic layouts.

1.5 pts Viktor Hovland each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 33/1

TPC Sawgrass was the scene of a humbling display by Viktor Hovland in 2025, as he shot an eight-over 80 (one of the worst rounds of his career) to sit joint-last on day one. That said, he bounced back immediately to win the Valspar on his next appearance, and arriving in much better form this time around, he’ll be eager to right the wrongs of 12 months ago.

Hovland began this year with a 14^th-place finish in Dubai on the DPWT and got his 2026 PGA Tour campaign off to an equally promising start, finishing 10^th at the Phoenix Open. He disappointed in California, finishing 58^th at Pebble Beach and 41^st at Riviera, but he again provided reasons for optimism when 13^th at Bay Hill last week.

He performed particularly well with the putter there, ranking 6^th, and his iron play also remained an asset – an area in which he ranks 13^th for the season. The short-to-mid irons are thriving, ranking 13^th from 150-175 yards and 29^th from 125-150, and although he’s not yet back to his best with the driver, he’s at least finding plenty of fairways, ranking 29^th in driving accuracy.

After missing the cut on his 2021 debut, Hovland displayed his ability to perform here with finishes of 3^rd in 2023 and 9^th in 2022. He’s again struggled on his last two trips, but with his game in better shape, this 2023 Memorial Tournament winner and former runner-up at the St Jude and Arnold Palmer Invitational has much in his favour.

1 pt Jacob Bridgeman each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 55/1

Next up is recent breakout winner Jacob Bridgeman, who held his nerve commendably to conquer a high-class field (and course) at Riviera. His upgraded long game was key to that success, complementing his already excellent short game, and after showing promise on his PLAYERS Championship debut last year, he’s taken to challenge for a memorable double at TPC Sawgrass.

Finishing inside the top 20 in each of his six starts in 2026, Bridgeman’s win in California didn’t come out of the blue. He was 4^th at the season-opener in Hawaii and then finished 8^th in the first Signature Event at Pebble Beach the week before his victory.

No doubt still coming to terms with that success, he began poorly at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a three-over 75. However, he responded with rounds of 69, 69 and 72 to finish 13^th, again showcasing quality throughout the bag.

It’s the enhancements he’s made with his approach play that have been most striking this year, jumping from 124^th in SG: Approach in 2025 to 14th in 2026. He’s also thriving with his short-to-mid irons, ranking 20^th from 150-175 yards and 30^th from 125-150.

The driver has become more reliable and, when we also consider that he’s the second-best putter on tour and has gained strokes in SG: ATG in each of the past two seasons, we’re now looking at a player with a temptingly watertight all-round profile.

He experienced the delights of TPC Sawgrass as an amateur, finishing 17^th in the 2017 Junior PLAYERS Championship. That certainly seemed to serve him well on debut in this event last year, as he sat 11^th at halfway before eventually sliding to 50^th.

Bridgeman is a completely different prospect this time around, and if he again finds himself in a handy position after 36 holes this year, I’d be much more confident that he’ll stick around to contend over the weekend.

1 pt Ryo Hisatsune each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 150/1

I’m going to finish with another Japanese talent, the much-improved Ryo Hisatsune. The 10^th-best tee-to-green performer on tour has already racked up three top-10 finishes this year, and with his two missed cuts here offering more encouragement than the bare form suggests, he’s worth chancing at a tasty three-figure price.

Despite missing the cut at the Sony Open and only finishing down in 44^th at The AmEx, Hisatsune was already showing extremely promising signs within his game. It finally came together at Torrey Pines, where he finished a distant 2^nd to Justin Rose at the Farmers Insurance Open, and he followed that with a 10^th at the Phoenix Open and 8^th at Pebble Beach on his next two outings.

His level has dropped a little on his latest couple of appearances, finishing 45^th at the Genesis Invitational and 33^rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. That said, he’s continued to shine from tee-to-green.

The driver has been invaluable, ranking 17^th in driving accuracy and 26^th in SG: OTT. This is matched by an elevated level of iron play, ranking 22^nd in GIR and 40^th in SG: Approach, and consistently hovering around the top-50 area in SG: ATG, he’s a great fit for TPC Sawgrass.

After opening with a two-under 70 on his PLAYERS Championship debut in 2024, he narrowly missed the cut thanks to a second-round 74. Meanwhile, although again failing to make the weekend last year, he was sound from tee-to-green, ultimately struggling on the putting surfaces.

Hisatsune arrives as a significantly better player for this third stab at the event and his case is strengthened by a 5^th-place finish at last year’s Texas Open. Having also held his nerve down the water-packed stretch to secure his solo DPWT title at the 2023 Open de France at Le Golf National, he’s certainly not short of the mentality required to handle this punishing layout.

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