Players Championship 2015 Predictions: Top Golfers to Watch at Sawgrass
Technically, The Players Championship is not a major, but try telling that to the Sunday leader as he stares down the island green on No. 17 with the tournament hanging in the balance.
Between that unique 17th hole, the $10 million purse, the packed galleries and the loaded field, it is no wonder The Players Championship at Sawgrass is known as the fifth major. The pressure is certainly in place, and the biggest names in the sport have all descended on Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Here is a look at the golfers who will thrive in the pressure-packed tournament.
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Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy has never won the Players, but that will change in 2015.
He finished in the top 10 at Sawgrass the past two years and has plenty of momentum on his side after a victory at the WGC-Cadillac World Match Play Championship. He was a perfect 7-0 in the event, but the way he won those matches was more impressive than the actual victories. He rallied from late deficits in the quarterfinals and semifinals and found himself two shots down with two holes to play Friday.
Naturally, he came back and parlayed that into an eventual championship, which made him the youngest player to ever win the WGC-Cadillac Match Play.
McIlroy also became the third player to win 10 tournaments before turning 26, joining the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. That's not bad company to keep when it comes to the record books.
Jordan Spieth's championship at the Masters at least partially inspired the four-time major winner, per Brian Wacker of PGATour.com (via WorldGolfChampionships.com):
"I think everyone, not just me, but everyone on TOUR was inspired seeing Jordan do what he did at Augusta. This is the start of a nice little run of golf for me and I wanted to come out and play well and increase my lead in the world rankings, which I've done after this win, and keep it going. But it's always nice to have people pushing you, and I feel like he's one of the guys doing that right now.
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This pick is not about putting stats, driving ability or anything technical with the Sawgrass course that fits McIlroy's game. Rather, it is about the world's No. 1-ranked golfer having plenty of momentum and motivation on his side as well as a clear agenda to continue putting space between himself and the rest of the field.
That is trouble for every other player at Sawgrass.
Jordan Spieth
McIlroy is far from the only golfer with momentum on his side entering the 2015 Players Championship.
Spieth has been a force on the PGA Tour in 2015 and already won his first career major in April at Augusta. Spieth also won the Valspar Championship and has two runner-up finishes under his belt this year. While he doesn't have a championship at Sawgrass on his resume, he did finish in a respectable fourth place in 2014.
There is also a very real chance that he has something of a chip on his shoulder after dropping out of the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championships in the round-robin portion of the tournament.
Jason Sobel of ESPN.com suggested as much when he picked Spieth to win the title:
"He wasn't happy with the format last week and wasn't happy that he played so well but didn't advance, which means Spieth could take out those frustrations on the field this week. He seriously contended for four days at last year's Players, and it can be argued that he's a much more polished player now. Gotta strike while the irons are hot -- and Spieth's are as hot as anyone's right now.
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Per his PGATour.com profile, Spieth is No. 1 on the tour in scoring average (69.252) and putting average (1.673), which both bode well for this year's Players Championship. Spieth is consistent enough to stay in the race throughout the first three rounds and clutch enough with the putter to win the title Sunday.
That is a dangerous combination.
Jim Furyk is something of a dark horse at this year's Players Championship.
The Ponte Vedra resident has never won his hometown's tournament, but he boasts four top-five finishes, which is the most in the event's history for someone who doesn't have a title. He finished in second place last year and made the cut 15 times in 19 tries at Sawgrass.
While Furyk doesn't actually have a title at the Players, few golfers are as consistent as the local on the course.
Furyk also has some momentum on his side after reaching the semifinals in the WGC Match Play Championships (where he lost to McIlroy) and winning the RBC Heritage.
Look for Furyk to stay in contention like he almost always does at Sawgrass, but he won't have enough to overcome the top two golfers on the PGA Tour.
Predicted top-three finishers: 1. Rory McIlroy; 2. Jordan Spieth; 3. Jim Furyk
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