Players Championship 2015: Tee Times, TV Info and Predictions
The four majors may attract most of the headlines and attention on the PGA Tour, but The Players Championship is the next closest thing.
After all, it is affectionately deemed the fifth major and features a purse rich enough to attract every marquee name on the PGA Tour. Throw in the famous Sawgrass location in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and the daunting island green on the 17th hole, and this tournament is appointment viewing for golf fans.
Here is a look at tee times, television information, predictions and more.
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Schedule, TV Info and More
Dates: Thursday, May 7 to 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
Notable First-Round Tee Times
| Jimmy Walker | 8:07 a.m. |
| Brooks Koepka | 8:18 a.m. |
| Patrick Reed | 8:18 a.m. |
| Rickie Fowler | 8:18 a.m. |
| Bubba Watson | 8:28 a.m. |
| Billy Horschel | 8:28 a.m. |
| Matt Kuchar | 8:28 a.m. |
| Rory McIlroy | 8:39 a.m. |
| Jordan Spieth | 8:39 a.m. |
| Jason Day | 8:39 a.m. |
| Justin Rose | 1:17 p.m. |
| Dustin Johnson | 1:17 p.m. |
| Jim Furyk | 1:28 p.m. |
| Henrik Stenson | 1:28 p.m. |
| Phil Mickelson | 1:38 p.m. |
| Sergio Garcia | 1:38 p.m. |
| Martin Kaymer | 1:49 p.m. |
| Adam Scott | 1:49 p.m. |
| Tiger Woods | 1:49 p.m. |
* All tournament tee times are available at PGATour.com.
Predicted Top Three Finishers
First Place: Rory McIlroy
Second Place: Jordan Spieth
Third Place: Jim Furyk
Rory McIlroy is the No. 1-ranked player in the world, and he has plenty of momentum on his side. That is a scary proposition for the rest of the field.
He picked up his 10th career victory at the WGC-Cadillac World Match Play Championship Sunday after a grueling seven-match process. He also won earlier this season in Dubai and finished in fourth place at the Masters after a strong finishing kick.
He will parlay that momentum into his first-ever victory at Sawgrass.
Second place will go to the Masters champion, Jordan Spieth.
Spieth doesn’t have a victory at TPC either (although he finished in fourth place last year), but he is playing the best golf of his career. In addition to the Masters, he won the Valspar Championship and has two runner-up finishes this season.
Spieth will continue his hot streak with a second-place finish.
Jim Furyk will be the dark-horse contender, although he is a force to be reckoned with on his hometown course at Sawgrass. While he doesn’t actually have a title at TPC, he has four top-five finishes (the most in the event’s history for someone who doesn’t have a victory) and has made 15 cuts in 19 attempts.
Furyk discussed playing in his hometown city of Ponte Vedra Beach, per Michael Whitmer of The Boston Globe:
"There’s a lot to do at a home tournament. It’s nice to be in your own bed, it’s nice to be home. Wouldn’t want to do it every week because there’s a little bit that goes along with it as well.
But I love the fact that I’m home, I enjoy it. I played well here last year, so hopefully I can build on that.
"
Furyk doesn’t have a victory at Sawgrass, but he is a model of consistency in this tournament. He will parlay that steadiness into a third-place finish in this year’s tournament.
Groups to Watch
It is no surprise that a number of star-studded groups have such a quality field in this year’s tournament. Here is a look at a few marquee ones to watch Thursday.
Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi
All three of these players have titles at Sawgrass under their belt. Phil Mickelson impressed at Augusta this year with a second-place finish, and Sergio Garcia is always one of the biggest names on the PGA Tour.
Martin Kaymer, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods
While he is nowhere near his prime anymore, Tiger Woods is still the most well-known name in the entire field. This group also includes last year’s TPC champion in Martin Kaymer and the 2004 TPC winner in Adam Scott.
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day
Sean Martin of PGATour.com described why one group in particular stands out in Thursday’s first round:
"Rory McIlroy (19), Jordan Spieth (1), Jason Day (8): Three of the top seven players in the Official World Golf Ranking are in this group, including Nos. 1 and 2. They’ve all won this season, too. McIlroy earned his first TOUR title of the season Sunday at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Match Play; it was his 10th PGA TOUR victory. He has finished in the top 10 of the past two PLAYERS. Spieth is the reigning Masters champion, and he had success in his PLAYERS debut last year. He played with Martin Kaymer in the final group before finishing fourth. Day won the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open and finished a career-best sixth at the 2011 PLAYERS.
"
It is must-watch entertainment anytime the top two players in the world are in the same group. While it may only be the first round, expect crowded galleries and championship-level shots throughout Thursday’s competition from Spieth and McIlroy as they attempt to one-up each other and establish some early breathing room on the leaderboard.
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