Players Championship 2023: Final Predictions for Top Prize Money
The 2023 Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is set to wrap up Sunday following an exciting three rounds at TPC Sawgrass.
Scottie Scheffler, who won the 2022 Masters Tournament, sits atop the leaderboard with a two-stroke lead (14 under par) over Min Woo Lee (12 under par) following three rounds of action.
With a clear path to his sixth title in a little over one year dating back to the 2022 Phoenix Open, all eyes will be on Scheffler in Round 4.
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Here's a look at the leaderboard following the first three rounds and some predictions for the top prize money set to be handed out on Sunday.
Players Championship Leaderboard
1. Scottie Scheffler: -14
2. Min Woo Lee: -12
3. Cam Davis: -10
T4. Tommy Fleetwood: -9
T4. Aaron Rai: -9
T4. Chad Ramey: -9
T4. Christiaan Bezuidenhout: -9
T8. Sungjae Im: -8
T8. David Lingmerth: -8
T8. Tom Hoge: -8
T11. Taylor Montgomery: -7
T11. Justin Rose: -7
T11. Denny McCarthy: -7
For full leaderboard, visit PGATour.com
Final Predictions for Top Prize Money (Total Purse: $25 million)
1. Scottie Scheffler, $4,500,000
2. Cam Davis, $2,725,000
3. Min Woo Lee, $1,725,000
4. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, $1,225,000
5. Tommy Fleetwood, $1,025,000
6. Chad Ramey, $906,250
7. Tom Hoge, $843,750
8. Sungjae Im, $781,250
9. Jordan Spieth, $731,250
10. Patrick Cantlay, $681,250
Scheffler, who holds a two-stroke lead entering Sunday's finale, is the favorite to claim the top prize at TPC Sawgrass with -250 odds, per DraftKings SportsBook.
The 26-year-old has been consistent through three days of action in Florida, and there's no reason to believe he won't be on his game Sunday, especially with the weather set to be perfect for golf.
Scheffler's consistency is what could power him to a victory on Sunday afternoon. He opened up the tournament with a four-under 68 and followed with a three-under 69 in the second round.
The Texas product put together an equally impressive performance in Saturday's third round, carding six birdies, an eagle and a bogey to finish the third round seven under par and 14 under through three rounds.
Scheffler sits No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking behind Jon Rahm, who withdrew from the Players Championship just before the start of the second round with an illness.
The New Jersey native, who turned pro in 2018, has five PGA Tour wins to his name. His last victory came in January in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona, finishing 19-under par.
While the WM Phoenix Open marks his only win of the 2022-23 season, Scheffler has five top-10 finishes this year in eight events.
Lee, who leads the Players Championship at 12 under through three rounds, has +600 odds to win the tournament, per DraftKings SportsBook.
The 24-year-old had one of the best performances of Saturday's action, carding five birdies and an eagle before carding a bogey on the final hole to finish six under for the round and 12 under through three rounds.
However, it's no surprise Lee is not favored to win the tournament as he has the least experience of anyone around him in the leaderboard.
Lee, who turned pro in 2019, has appeared in just 18 total PGA Tour events and has yet to post a win. In his only two tournaments this season, he missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and finished tied for 26th at the Honda Classic.
The Australian has also missed the cut in 11 of the 18 tournaments he has played in. His best career finish came when he finished tied for 14th at the Masters Tournament in 2022.
The fourth round is slated to begin at 7:45 a.m. ET on Sunday, and all eyes will be on Scheffler as he looks to claim his second title in a month. Other players to keep an eye on Sunday include Cam Davis, Chad Ramey and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
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