Players Championship 2015: Favorites, Sleepers and Tournament Preview
The Players Championship is often referred to as the year's fifth major due to its huge purse and top-notch field. This year, that trend continues, as every golfer residing in the top 50 of the world golf rankings will be competing for the tournament's $10 million purse.
Claiming the event's top prize won't be easy. The field must navigate more than 7,200 yards of sharp doglegs and an abundance of hazards at the treacherous TPC Sawgrass. The track has a tendency to produce plenty of drama and jaw-dropping moments, highlighted by the difficult island green on the famous par-three 17th hole.
While we anxiously await the tournament to commence, let's take a look at its full viewing information and members of the field to keep a keen eye on.
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2015 The Players Championship
When: Thursday, May 7 - Sunday, May 10
Where: TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Purse: $10 million (winning share: $1.8 million)
FedEx Cup Points: 600 to winner
Viewing Info:
- Thursday and Friday: 1-7 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
- Saturday and Sunday: 2-7 p.m. ET, NBC
Tournament Preview
We should expect to see plenty of suspense in this year's tournament due to the high quality of the field. That said, the unique playoff format of The Players Championship may come into play. Instead of a sudden-death one-hole playoff, this tournament features a three-hole playoff, as competitors will have to navigate hole Nos. 16-18 to determine a winner.
Of course, that brings the entertaining 17th back into play. But the par three is only 137 yards, how treacherous could it possibly be?
According to Jeff Shain of PGATour.com, the average number of balls that find the water at No. 17 each year is a staggering 45.9. The most came in a windy 2007 tournament, as 93 found the water that year. Interestingly enough, 2014 featured the fewest splashdowns in the 12 years statistical analysis has been tracked at hole 17 with just 28 balls getting wet.
We may see that number escalate slightly this year, as Weather.com is forecasting 13 mph winds at TPC Sawgrass for the tournament's opening round.
Martin Kaymer enters The Players Championship as the defending champion, while world No. 1 Rory McIlroy is coming off a win in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play and Jordan Spieth aims to add to his impressive resume having won the Masters earlier this season.
Tournament Favorites
Rory McIlroy
The world No. 1 is always an instant favorite in every tournament he enters. He's been in great form of late, finishing fourth in the Masters after a stellar final round and continuing his brilliant play throughout the WGC-Cadillac Match Play. McIlroy has never won The Players Championship, but he's always in the mix, earning top-10 finishes in each of the last two years.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth will be aiming to continue his phenomenal campaign in 2015, having already notched his first major victory in April to go along with a win in the Valspar Championship and two runner-up finishes. The world's No. 2 golfer has never won at TPC Sawgrass, but he put on a solid showing in 2014, finishing tied for fourth. Considering his current form, he'll have a great chance to better that result this time around.
Justin Rose
Justin Rose will be an interesting name to watch at TPC Sawgrass. The world No. 6 has been playing very well of late, finishing tied for second in the Masters and winning the Zurich Classic soon after. The Englishman has never won The Players Championship, but he did finish tied for fourth in 2014. However, he's produced mixed results at TPC Sawgrass, missing the cut there in 2013.
Tournament Sleepers
Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk finally notched a long-awaited victory in the 2015 RBC Heritage, ending a drought that stemmed more than four years. He continued his solid play in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play by finishing fourth and now moves on to a tournament in which he earned a runner-up finish last year. If Furyk remains hot, he'll be in the mix once again this week.
Yes, Tiger Woods is a sleeper. Ranked No. 125 in the world, Woods is making his first start since his solid showing in the Masters that resulted in a tie for 17th. No stranger to TPC Sawgrass, Woods has won the tournament twice, recently emerging victorious in 2013. Woods' ever-changing swing makes him a wild card, but he should have confidence at a track where he's been successful in the past.
Matt Kuchar
Matt Kuchar hasn't been overly consistent of late, but he's a name to watch at TPC Sawgrass. Following a good start to his 2015 season, his form declined quickly, as he finished no better than tied for 15th in a stretch of six tournaments. He did appear to get things going again in the RBC Heritage, finishing fifth, and he now enters a tournament that he won in 2012.
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