Players Championship 2017 Prize Money: Purse and Payout Info for TPC Sawgrass

The PGA Tour season consists of four major tournaments, though the Players Championship stands as the unofficial fifth major and offers the richest financial prize in the sport. 

The total purse payout is $10.5 million, with each of the top two finishers receiving over $1 million for their efforts. Last year's winner Jason Day took home $1.89 million, the same amount that will be handed to the 2017 champion. 

Here's the prize payout for each of the top 20 finishers at the 2017 Players Championship:

Position	Payout
1	$1,890,000
2	$1,134,000
3	$714,000
4	$504,000
5	$420,000
6	$378,000
7	$351,750
8	$325,500
9	$304,500
10	$283,500
11	$262,500
12	$241,500
13	$220,500
14	$199,500
15	$189,000
16	$178,500
17	$168,000
18	$157,500
19	$147,000
20	$136,500

Mike Spencer/Associated Press

There is no shortage of star power making its way to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, including Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy and Bubba Watson competing for the riches and bragging rights that go along with winning the Players Championship. 

Yet the entire PGA Tour is looking up at Dustin Johnson right now. Even though his three-tournament winning streak came to an end at the Wells Fargo Championship last week—thanks to Brian Harman's 28-foot birdie putt on the final hole—he still looked like the best player on the planet for 36 holes. 

Johnson barely made the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship after shooting a 75 in the second round, his worst single-round score since the 2016 Deutsche Bank Championship in September 2016. He responded with back-to-back rounds of 67 for a second-place finish. 

After the event, Johnson tried to remain positive since it was his first tournament in two months after suffering a back injury that knocked him out of the Masters. 

"Since I hadn't played in so long, I'm happy with the way I played," Johnson said, according to Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press (via PGA.com). "I didn't score that great, didn't really hole that many putts, but other than that, I played really well. I think I hit 16 greens and I hit the ball great."

It took Johnson two rounds to work off any rust he might have had, at which point he once again looked like the best golfer in the world. 

On the other hand, Spieth is looking to build some momentum this season heading into the U.S. Open next month. The 23-year-old has just one win in 10 events so far and has struggled to maintain consistency. 

For instance, Spieth bookended the Masters with identical rounds of 75 but shot 69-68 in the second and third rounds to finish a respectable 11th. 

Spieth has also had problems at the Players Championship having missed the cut in each of the past two years. However, it hasn't shaken his confidence coming into the tournament this year. 

"I love this course and I think it fits my game well," Spieth said, per Gary Smith of the Florida Times-Union. "I want to think that it's just been kind of a fluke. I know I can play it really well if I play it smart and I think I've just been trying to do a little too much the last couple years."

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

With the recent rise of players like Johnson and Spieth, McIlroy is almost in a position of trying to remind the world that he's still capable of dominating like few other golfers on the PGA Tour. He's finished in the top 10 four times in five PGA events this year, though winning is another story. 

McIlroy's last win was at the TOUR Championship last September. It's only a span of six PGA events based on his schedule, but eight months in sports can feel like an eternity. 

Kyle Porter of CBS Sports thinks this weekend will be McIlroy's first win of the year, offering these reasons behind his thinking: "McIlroy has four top 12s here in the last four years including three top 10s. I love how comfortable he feels. I love that he's coming in without having played since the Masters. I love how due he is for a big win."

Assuming McIlroy is due for a win at this event based on his recent history doesn't seem like a stretch, especially given his resume on tour this season. 

The PGA Tour has the perfect setup this weekend because the field is so stacked with star power and depth that there are any number of ways for the Players Championship to play out that offer the right amount of drama and intrigue for 72 holes. 

Johnson's pedigree and ascent in 2017 make him the favorite, though he will have to get on a good start to avoid needing another big run like he had last week when he just ran out of holes to get some separation from the field.