Players Championship 2016 Prize Money: Purse and Payout Info for TPC Sawgrass

The 2016 Players Championship could serve as a turning point for the rest of the PGA Tour season. No golfer has won more than two events during the current campaign, which has certainly trended more toward parity than a singular dominant force leading the pack.

Perhaps picking up a high-profile victory this week at the so-called fifth major can propel one of the sport's biggest stars to top-dog status. There's certainly no shortage of options with almost all of the notable names in attendance to chase the coveted title and massive winner's check.

Let's check out the initial payout information for the TPC Sawgrass event. That's followed by a deeper dive into some of the names worth watching during the marquee tournament.

Players Championship Prize Money

Category	Money
Total Purse	$10.5 million
Winner's Share	$1.89 million

Reigning Champion: Rickie Fowler

One year ago, Fowler put together one of the most memorable finishes of the season by shooting six under par over the final six holes to force a playoff. He eventually edged Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner to score his first PGA Tour victory in three years.

Now he returns to TPC Sawgrass looking for another spark. There were promising signs en route to a fourth-place effort last week in the Wells Fargo Championship after finishing 20th in the Zurich Classic and missing the cut at the Masters.

Building off that progress would be a great sign heading into a busy late spring and summer. The early returns from practice suggest he's still locked in on the famous island green at No. 17, as noted by Steve DiMeglio of USA Today:

He's struggled to string four solid rounds together over the past couple months. If he can rediscover the consistency he displayed during the latter stages of last season and the early parts of this season, a repeat in the Players should be within reach Sunday.

Favorite: Rory McIlroy

A six-under final round nearly vaulted McIlroy to the win last week in the Wells Fargo Championship. Although he ended up falling a bit short, finishing fourth, there were enough positive signs to install him as the oddsmakers' favorite this week, according to Odds Shark.

The Northern Irishman has registered three straight top-10 finishes in the Players, including an eighth-place result last year, after some initial struggles in the event. He told Bob Harig of ESPN.com his play has improved thanks to a different approach:

"

I've gotten a lot more comfortable with Sawgrass. I finally accepted that I can't hit driver as much as I would like there. I've always felt that it was a golf course that handcuffed me a little bit. The things that give me an advantage over some of the field, you know, they don't really give me an advantage there. So the first few years I was quite stubborn and still trying to take on a lot of things instead of accepting the fact that I'm going to have to play the course the way everyone else plays it.

"

The lack of holes where a driver is needed usually leads to a more congested field. It's harder for the long hitters to pull away without that distinct advantage. But McIlroy is one of the purest ball strikers on tour when he's clicking on all cylinders, too.

While the typically tight pack over the weekend will obviously make Sunday vital, the biggest key for him may be Thursday. He's failed to crack 70 in an opening round since February. Ending that drought will put him in position to score his first victory of 2016.

Sleeper: Kevin Na

Na started his season with four top-three finishes in his first six starts. His results have faded since that point as the level of competition rose, but he was back in contention in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage last month, when he finished fourth.

His two weekend rounds in that effort (66 on Saturday and 69 on Sunday) looked more like the player who enjoyed such a strong start to the campaign. Now the question is whether he can pick up where he left off after three weeks of rest.

Na's success in the 2015 Players is the other factor that makes him an intriguing long shot this week. He was tied for the lead after each of the first two rounds last year. He eventually finished sixth, just three shots from making the playoff.

He failed to convert any of his early chances at a win during the opening stages of the season, which raises legitimate questions about his ability to beat such a strong field. But if he can get himself back into Sunday contention again, then anything can happen.

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