The Players Championship: Can Tiger End PGA Tour Drought at Sawgrass?

The richest golf tournament in the world, the Players Championship, also known by many as the "fifth Major," gets underway at TPC Sawgrass this Thursday with Tiger Woods the favourite to win—a result that would end his wait for a win on the PGA tour, a drought that stretches back to September 2009 when Woods won the BMW Championship.

Woods has only ever won this prestigious tournament once before, back in 2002.

Whilst Woods has plenty of reasons why this barren patch in his career has occurred, he has looked like getting back to his best on occasions this year, particularly with a very good performance in the Masters last month.

With further improvements in his game being reported, he could be a huge force to be reckoned with at Sawgrass. The Vegas golf betting has the 14 times Major winner at +1400 to win, the biggest odds Tiger has been to win a tournament since 1997!

With no Lee Westwood in the field, the highest ranked player headed to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, will be World No. 2, Martin Kaymer, who is the reigning PGA Champion.

After a good start to the year which saw the German win in Abu Dhabi and finishing second in the WGC Match-play, his form has dropped off. He missed the cut in the Masters and although in a tie for ninth in the Malaysian Open, behind Westwood, he was well down the field in the Wells Fargo last week.

He has little form to suggest that he can bounce back at the Players Championship, but it should not be forgotten that he is a “major” winner and a hugely gifted player.

Englishman Luke Donald, who owes his position as No. 3 in the world to his remarkably consistent performances this year, is in with a great chance to win if he keeps up that level of consistency. With the exception of the Northern Trust Open at the beginning of the year, Donald has not finished outside the top ten in any of his last 12 events, which includes winning the WGC World Match-Play in February and a tie for fourth place in the Masters.

If anyone has the form to win this week then he does but the lack of wins is a concern and he may once again find one too good.

Phil Mickelson, winner at Sawgrass in 2007, has been in reasonable form for most of the year, winning the Houston Open a few weeks ago. He was unable to defend his Masters title, but showed up well last week in the Wells Fargo finishing in a tie for ninth place. He also finished second in the Farmers Insurance Open at the beginning of the year and has not missed a cut in any of his last 16 events on the tour. 

“Lefty” is always a man to consider when it comes to winning big events and he is no exception this week and a leading candidate to win.

There are a whole raft of Americans who will come to the tournament with high hopes—these include, Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Ben Crane, Hunter Mahan and Dustin Johnson. All of which are in with good chances as are the two veterans, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk and will be looking to be the first American players to win since Mickelson four year ago.