2025 The Players Championship: Preview, Props & Best Bets

The unofficial “fifth major” of the 2025 PGA Tour season kicks off on Thursday with the first round of The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Contested on the famed Stadium Course, one of the year’s deepest fields will vie for one of the tour’s most coveted trophies. Can Scottie Scheffler create history by winning for a third consecutive year?

“The Players Championship is absolutely our busiest tournament outside of the majors and it’s no surprise that Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite this week as he goes for his third consecutive win in this tournament,” BetMGM senior sports trader Matt Wall said.

The iconic 17th hole with its island green will again be the focus of several prop markets at sportsbooks, including closest to the pin and the number of balls hit in the water.

Our golf experts preview the event and provide their favorite prop picks along with the best bets to win this week.

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., March 13-16

Course: TPC Sawgrass, The Players Stadium Course (Par 72, 7,352 Yards)

Purse: $25M (Winner: $4.5M)

Defending Champion: Scottie Scheffler

FedExCup leader: Sepp Straka

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday: 1-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 2-7 p.m. (NBC/Peacock); Sunday: 1-7 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

X: @ThePlayers

PROP PICKS

–Michael Kim to Beat Jordan Spieth (-125 at DraftKings): Kim might be the hottest player few people are talking about with five consecutive finishes of T13 or better, including fourth at Bay Hill. His lone PGA Tour title to date came seven years ago at the John Deere, but we like him as a +6500 darkhorse to win this week. Spieth is making his fifth start in his return from wrist surgery and while he has posted a T4 and T9 against softer fields, he has a T69 and missed cut in two signature event starts. He failed to make the weekend here last year.

–Hideki Matsuyama Top 20 Finish (+125 at BetMGM): Matsuyama has four top-10s since 2015 at The Players, tied with Brian Harman for the most of any player in the field. While he has cooled off a bit since winning The Sentry to kick off the year, he has posted a T13 and T22 in his past two starts, both at signature events, and tied for sixth year last year.

–Shane Lowry Top Irishman (+170 at DraftKings): McIlroy is the odds-on favorite in this prop at -150 and has the second-shortest odds to win the tournament outright. He’s done it before and does have a win already this year, but does not have a top-10 at TPC Sawgrass since his victory six years ago. Lowry, who tied for 19th here in 2024, has been in excellent form. That includes a solo seventh last week after holding the 36-hole lead and a solo second at Pebble Beach last month. The other player in this prop is Seamus Power at +550.

2025 Prop Pick Record: 11-14-1

BEST BETS

–Scottie Scheffler (+400 at DraftKings) was pleased with his ball-striking last week but said he struggled on the rock-hard Bay Hill greens. This is his fifth start since returning from a hand injury. Scheffler is being offered at +500 at BetMGM, where he leads the field with 16.4 percent of the money backing him to win.

–Rory McIlroy (+1100) settled for a T15 last week but does already have a win this year at Pebble Beach. He won The Players in 2019 but does not have a top-10 in the event since. McIlroy’s odds lengthened a tad from +1000 on Tuesday.

–Collin Morikawa (+1400) keeps knocking on the door of his first win since 2023, with his solo second last week his tour-high fourth in the past two years.

–Ludvig Aberg (+1600) is coming off a disappointing T22 following his win at the Genesis, but does live in Ponte Vedra Beach and is extremely familiar with the course. He leads all players in the field with 14 percent of the money and 9 percent of the total bets at DraftKings backing him to win this week. The Swede is also +1600 to win at BetMGM, where he has drawn a field-high 8.9 percent of the total bets and is the book’s biggest liability this week.

–Justin Thomas (+2200), like Morikawa, is trying to snap a lengthy win drought that dates to 2022. His T36 last week followed a pair of top-10s. Thomas won The Players in 2021

–Tommy Fleetwood (+3000) hasn’t finished worse than T22 in his past 13 worldwide starts, but is still seeking his first win in the United States. Like McIlroy, Fleetwood has seen his odds tick up from sitting at +2800 on Tuesday.

–Sepp Straka (+4000) was a winner earlier this season at Torrey Pines and is second in the field with 9 percent of the money and 7 percent of the total bets backing him to win. Straka has also been popular at shorter +2800 odds at BetMGM, where he is the second biggest liability. “Ludvig Aberg and Sepp Straka currently sit as our worst results as the public continues to bet these two Europeans,” Wall said.

–Corey Conners (+5500) leapt 20 spots to No. 30 in the world with his quiet third-place finish last week. He tied for 13th here last year.

NOTES

–Scheffler was the first player to successfully defend his title at The Players last year. His 64 on Sunday matched the lowest closing-round score in tournament history. Jack Nicklaus (1974, ’76, ’78) is the only three-time winner of the event. Steve Stricker is the last player to win the same event three consecutive years (John Deere Classic/2009-11).

–Each of the past five winners has entered the week in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

–The field includes 48 of the top 50 players in the OWGR, and 25 players who will be making their debut at The Players, including eight rookies.

–Adam Scott will make his 23rd appearance in the event, the most of any player in the field.

–The Players has not been decided by a playoff since Rickie Fowler beat Kevin Kisner and Sergio Garcia in 2015.

–Laurie Canter is the first former LIV Golf player to compete at The Players, having qualified more than a year after his most recent LIV event.

–Former LIV Golf CEO and current board member Greg Norman holds the tournament scoring record of 264 set in 1994. Tom Hoge holds the 18-hole record of 62, set in the third round two years ago.

–Field Level Media