Players Championship 2020: Favorites, Sleepers and Tournament Preview

For the first time since 2017, the Players Championship won't feature Tiger Woods.

Although the event isn't one of the four majors, the Players Championship is viewed as the next most prestigious tournament in golf. Woods, who has only played in two tournaments in 2020, will miss the event because of a back injury after last playing at the Genesis Invitational in February.

However, even without Woods, this is sure to be an exciting event. After winning his first Players Championship last year, Rory McIlroy will look to become the first golfer to win the tournament in back-to-back years.

Only six golfers have won multiple Players Championship titles. Jack Nicklaus won the event three times, while Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Hal Sutton, Davis Love III and Woods have each won twice.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the start of this year's Players Championship on Thursday.

2020 Players Championship

Dates: Thursday, March 12-Sunday March 15

Location: TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy

Players Championship Odds

Rory McIlroy +700 (bet $100 to win $700)

Jon Rahm +1200

Justin Thomas +1400

Tommy Fleetwood +1800

Dustin Johnson +1800

Hideki Matsuyama +2200

Webb Simpson +2200

Xander Schauffele +2200

Adam Scott +2500

Bryson Dechambeau +2500

Patrick Reed +2500

Patrick Cantlay +2800

Brooks Koepka +3000

Rickie Fowler +3000

Sungjae Im +3000

Gary Woodland +4000

Matt Kuchar +4000

Henrik Stenson +4500

Paul Casey +4500

Marc Leishman +4500

Tyrrell Hatton +4500

Jason Day +5000

Tony Finau +5000

The full list of available odds can be found at Caesars Palace

Favorites

It's no surprise that Rory McIlroy has the best odds to win the tournament and is considered the early favorite to win the event.

In 2019, McIlroy finished 16-under par at the Players Championship to beat Jim Furyk by one stroke. He's had earlier success at the tournament, too, finishing in the top eight every year from 2013-15.

McIlroy is coming off a strong showing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he tied for fifth place. It's been a strong start to the 2020 PGA season for McIlroy, who has finished in the top five in each of his last six tournaments.

Jon Rahm hasn't won a PGA event since the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April 2019. But he's put together consistent strong finishes, which puts him among the Players Championship favorites. He finished second at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, then placed third at the WGC-Mexico Championship last month.

Last year, Rahm was 15-under par entering the final round of the Players Championship. But he shot a 76, four-over par, in the final round to fall to 12th place. If he can finish better this time, the 25-year-old Spaniard could notch the biggest win of his PGA Tour career thus far.

Webb Simpson should also have a solid showing. He won the Players Championship in 2018, and he's also been playing well of late, as he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open in a playoff in early February.

Sleepers

Although Henrik Stenson and Rickie Fowler are former winners of the Players Championship, neither is that high up on the odds list for this year's tournament. But with both golfers proving they can fare well at TPC Sawgrass in the past, they could be solid sleeper picks this weekend.

Stenson won the tournament in 2009, but he's had less success in recent years, including missing the cut in 2019. And although he missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational over the weekend, the 43-year-old veteran could bounce back this week.

In December, Stenson outlasted Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm to win the Hero World Challenge, so he's proved he's still capable of pulling out wins.

Fowler's Players Championship victory was more recent, as he won the tournament in 2015. Since then, he's struggled at the event, missing the cut twice in four years. However, he also owns a second-place finish at the tourney, so his win wasn't his lone top performance at the course.

Plus, Fowler had a decent showing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, starting strong over the first two rounds before settling in 18th place. Perhaps that will get him back on track and set the stage for a potential sleeper victory at the Players Championship.