The PGA Tour this week features the 2026 The Players Championship starting on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass' Players Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
My PGA Tour field ranking for The Players Championship looks at the top 10 players in this 123-player field that brings together the best in the world for the biggest event on the PGA Tour calendar.
The Players Championship is what a major would look like if the PGA Tour controlled it. Sawgrass is such a challenging place to play because it asks almost every conceivable question of a player's ability, and it truly does favor no player in particular. However, going back to 2019, the greats have been winning here frequently.
Just a reminder that I make my expert picks looking at all fantasy leagues and formats. Whether you're playing in a fantasy golf leagues, betting on golf, or competing in a DFS (DraftKings, FanDuel) event, our picks highlight the top PGA Tour golfers to watch this week from our 2026 The Players Championship rankings.
2026 The Players Championship expert picks and rankings
1. Scottie Scheffler: Scheffler is in a bit of a slump at the moment -- relative to him -- but his steady approach plays very well here.
2. Collin Morikawa: Morikawa looked good at Bay Hill and has been solid all year, so I would anticipate that continuing.
3. Rory McIlroy: McIlroy is a two-time winner here, but his back injury that forced him out of Bay Hill is a concern.
4. Tommy Fleetwood: Fleetwood is the kind of player who should eat up at Sawgrass.
5. Akshay Bhatia: Bhatia tracked down Daniel Berger and won at Bay Hill, proving to himself that he can win on a big stage.
SAVE ON GNN MEMBERSHIP: Join now, and get 2 years for $70 OR 3 years for $100! (One year is $40.) Access all our winning tools and analysis!
6. Hideki Matsuyama: Matsuyama won the 2020 Players -- opening with 63 before the world fell apart -- and has been tremendous all year.
7. Min Woo Lee: Every time you turn around, this guy is on the first page of a leaderboard, and I expect that to continue.
8. Jacob Bridgeman: Bridgeman finished just outside the top 15 at Bay Hill, and his game should play nicely at Sawgrass.
9. Xander Schauffele: Xander popped out of hiberation this week for a bit at Bay Hill, but something still seems off about his game.
10. Shane Lowry: Lowry has done lots of good things at Sawgrass, and it would be a great redemptive arc to this year if he could win the Players.
