Players Championship 2015: Tee Times, TV and Live Stream Schedule for Thursday
Although it's technically not a major, The Players Championship is consistently one of the top events on the calendar, and this year shouldn't be any different.
The big draw is the purse, which is among the biggest in the world at $10 million overall and $1.8 million to the winner. This guarantees a big-time field of the top players in the sport.
No matter who wins, this is certain to be an exciting four days of action at TPC Sawgrass. Here is a look at what you need to know to follow along at home or on the course.
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| 1 | Thursday, May 7 | Golf Channel | 1-7 p.m. |
| 2 | Friday, May 8 | Golf Channel | 1-7 p.m. |
| 3 | Saturday, May 9 | NBC | 2-7 p.m. |
| 4 | Sunday, May 10 | NBC | 2-7 p.m. |
You can watch a live stream of the tournament online at PGATour.com.
| 7:46 a.m. | 10 | Padraig Harrington | Graeme McDowell | Ryan Palmer |
| 8:07 a.m. | 10 | Jimmy Walker | Hideki Matsuyama | Ernie Els |
| 8:18 a.m. | 10 | Brooks Koepka | Patrick Reed | Rickie Fowler |
| 8:28 a.m. | 10 | Bubba Watson | Billy Horschel | Matt Kuchar |
| 8:39 a.m. | 10 | Rory McIlroy | Jordan Spieth | Jason Day |
| 12:56 p.m. | 1 | Matt Jones | Luke Donald | Louis Oosthuizen |
| 1:07 p.m. | 1 | J.B. Holmes | Bill Haas | Hunter Mahan |
| 1:17 p.m. | 1 | Justin Rose | Dustin Johnson | Zach Johnson |
| 1:28 p.m. | 1 | Jim Furyk | Brandt Snedeker | Henrik Stenson |
| 1:38 p.m. | 1 | Phil Mickelson | Sergio Garcia | K.J. Choi |
| 1:49 p.m. | 1 | Martin Kaymer | Adam Scott | Tiger Woods |
Full list of tee times available at PGATour.com.
Top Pairings to Watch
Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel, Matt Kuchar
Matt Kuchar has been so consistent in his career that it's news when he goes a while without a top 10. With a fifth-place finish at RBC Heritage, he broke a streak of six starts outside of the top 10, which was the longest of his career:
Now that he is back on track, he will show he has what it takes to win again at the Players like he did a few years ago.
Still, the bigger draw in this group is likely fan favorite Bubba Watson. The lefty is now No. 4 in the world and always entertaining on and off the course. Considering the success he has had at the World Golf Championship events this year, you can be certain he will step up again for another high-paying tournament.
Billy Horschel also knows all about winning big money after winning the FedEx Cup last year. He has what it takes to not only keep up with the others in this group, but end up with the best score out of all of them.
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day
This pairing features three of the best young golfers in the sport, all of whom have found ways to step up in the bigger tournaments.
Rory McIlroy is the top player in the world and proved it once again with a flawless performance at last week's WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship. Jason Sobel of ESPN noted how successful he has been for such a young age:
He will try to keep the momentum going with a strong performance in Florida at Ponte Vedra Beach.
Of course, Jordan Spieth is quickly moving up the ranks as the biggest star in golf after an incredible start to this season. He is coming off a win at the Masters Tournament and already has seven top-10 finishes in 2015.
This should make it no surprise McIlroy and Spieth are first and second respectively in the latest odds to win this tournament, per Odds Shark.
You also can't forget Jason Day in this group considering his top-five finishes at past U.S. Opens, Masters and other big events. He has as good of a chance as anyone at ending up near the top of the leaderboard.
Martin Kaymer, Adam Scott, Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods hasn't been the player he once was, but he is still a major draw wherever he goes. The challenge for him this week will be to try to focus after breaking up with his girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn.
According to Steve DiMeglio of USA Today, Woods recently discussed his need to block out the negatives:
"I've always had to deal with stuff outside the ropes, and once you're inside the ropes it's time to tee it up and time to play. You go out there, and for me I focus, I get into my little world, my little zone and do the best I possibly can for that, well, it used to be four hours. Now they're five-hour rounds, a five-hour time period. You grind it out and win golf tournaments because at the end, to me that's what I want to do at that particular week is win a tournament.
"
He certainly knows what it takes to win, so if he can just get back on track, he could remain a top contender this weekend.
This group also features last year's winner in Martin Kaymer, which came right before his dominant victory at the U.S. Open. He knows this course well and is capable of another successful performance.
Finally, Adam Scott will try to overcome a relatively poor start to the season by stepping up on the big stage like he has so many times before.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
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