Players Championship 2024: Updated Predictions for Top Prize Money
The Players Championship got off to a thrilling start on Thursday, as low scores were common among many of the favorites.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler shot an impressive five-under, yet stands two strokes behind a three-way first-place tie entering Day 2.
Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Wyndham Clark are currently atop the leaderboard.
Scheffler, of course, has a chance to make history this weekend at TPC Sawgrass. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Players Championship, and the event has never seen a back-to-back winner.
There should be plenty of drama over the final three rounds of the "fifth major," and with a $25 million prize pool, the competition will be fierce. Here, you'll find a look at how things have unfolded thus far
2024 Players Championship
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When: March 14-17
Where: TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
TV: NBC, Golf Channel
Prize Pool: $25 million ($4.5 Million to Winner)
Remaining TV Schedule
Friday, March 15: 1-7 p.m. ET on Golf Channel
Saturday, March 16: 2-7 p.m. ET on NBC
Sunday, March 17: 1-6 p.m. ET on NBC
*Daily Live Stream on ESPN+ and Peacock
Favorites Entering Day 2 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Scottie Scheffler 36-10
Rory McIlroy 4-1
Xander Schauffele 13-2
Wyndham Clark 12-1
Ludvig Aberg 18-1
Matt Fitzpatrick 18-1
Day 1 Leaderboard
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T-1. Xander Schauffele -7
T-1. Rory McIlroy -7
T-1. Wyndham Clark -7
T-4. Nick Taylor -6
T-4. Matt Fitzpatrick -6
T-6. Tom Hoge -5
T-6. Jason Day -6
T-6. Ludvig Åberg -6
T-6. Scottie Scheffler -6
T-6. Tyler Duncan -6
T-6. Maverick McNealy -6
T-6. Jimmy Stanger -6
*Complete leaderboard can be found at PGATour.com
Day 2 Preview and Predictions
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There's a tight race at the top after Day 1, and Thursday wasn't without its fair share of controversy.
McIlroy put a pair of shots in the water. Both of them led to lengthy discussions with playing partners Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth before resulting in drops. Determining the correct drop was a challenge, and it should be noted that McIlroy was assessed a two-stroke penalty for an improper drop at last month's Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
"I think Jordan was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing," McIlroy said, per Alan Bastable of Golf.com.
Drop-drama aside, Round 1 featured plenty of clean golf and numerous low scores. Golfers at even par are currently tied for 56th place. We should see more of the same over the next three days, weather permitting.
The big unknown is whether the calm weather will continue. Rain delays are not uncommon at the Players. Last year's tournament saw delays on Friday, and the 2022 event pushed into Monday.
The forecast appears to be mild, at least until Sunday. That's good news for top golfers like McIlroy, Schauffele, Clark and Scheffler because poor weather is often an equalizer.
As for which golfer will take home the $4.5 million prize, it sure feels like a battle between McIlroy and Scheffler could be brewing.
McIlroy put two balls in the water, put a bogey and a double-bogey on his scorecard and still finished tied for the lead. That's impressive, no matter how the 34-year-old got through 18 holes.
And Scheffler is playing some of the most consistent golf on the tour right now. At last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, he claimed victory with a five-stroke lead over Clark. He opened with a bogey on Thursday but recovered nicely with a six-birdie round.
Scheffler and McIlroy are No. 1 and No. 1, respectively, in the world golf rankings for a reason. They're among the sport's best, and it should surprise no one if both are neck-and-neck late Sunday afternoon.
Predicted Prize Money Finish
1. Scottie Scheffler - $4.5 Million
2. Rory McIlroy - $2.725 Million
3. Wyndham Clark - $1.725 Million
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