The PGA Tour: The Players Championship

The jolliest of days with chums for a Cheltenham lunch was only slightly marred by the appalling performance of my tips, ratings and statistics and the resulting train crash in Queer Street. Surely, I thought to myself, I’ll be able to relax this weekend, gently resting on a bed of discarded betting slips and forgotten racing hopes. No, I can’t, because this weekend - indeed tomorrow - sees the start of the “fifth major”, The Players Championship.

The iconic TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is actually the garden of the PGA’s headquarters, and the tournament consistently delivers some of the most dramatic moments in golf. Designed by the legendary Pete Dye, the Stadium Course is a masterpiece of “target golf.” It doesn’t favour any specific playing style—whether you’re a long bomber or a short-game specialist, you have to be precise to survive. The 17th is known as the “Island Green” and is a short par-3 that has ruined many scorecards. At only 137 yards, it’s a pure psychological test. Holes 16, 17, and 18 are widely considered the most stressful closing stretch in golf. With water everywhere, leads can vanish quicker than a Tattersall bookie who’d taken £20k on Martator! TPC Sawgrass is known for its firm, fast greens and tricky Florida winds that can shift in an instant, making club selection a nightmare.

Based on the recent 2026 form, here are my eight against the field.