12 Jun 2019
The PGA Tour’s flagship event has moved back to its original spot in the schedule, having previously been played in May since 2007, making the Players Championship the first showpiece event in the golfing calendar. This is really the ‘fifth’ Major, regardless of what other events are hyped.
Both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson are likely to be among those teeing off on Thursday, despite rumours earlier in the week that they may miss the tournament. Woods did not play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of a neck injury and Mickelson simply wanted to see how the course would play at this time of year.
The two legends will take on one of the strongest line-ups in history, with Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari and defending champion Webb Simpson in the field.
Bettors must take a view if this par 72 course will play longer, given it is far cooler in March than it is in May, but most reports suggest that the greens will still be firm and it is still a course where it is better to be accurate off the tee, rather than long.
Previous form at Sawgrass counts for something, so Dustin Johnson is not on the list, with 10 attempts and not one top 10 finish. McIlroy is also a long hitter and has not made the top five in nine tries.
With this in mind, we have come up with four players whom we believe will go well at this iconic event, which starts on Thursday.
JUSTIN THOMAS
At odds of 16/1, Thomas makes plenty of appeal. He was 11th last year, showing improvement in each round, and has a decent strike-rate of winning around one in every 10 tournaments over the past couple of years.
He has also spoken of his liking for the course and the atmosphere, unlike many of the other big names, who have been reluctant to do so. His recent form at the WGC-Mexico Championship (9th), Honda Classic (2nd), Phoenix Open (3rd), Sony Open (T16) and Tournament of Champions (3rd), suggest that he is certainly one for the shortlist.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE
Xander Schauffele, who tees off alongside Justin Rose and Justin Thomas, is not always the most accurate off the tee, but he has one win in his bag already this season, taking the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua in Maui. As with his triumph at the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions in Shanghai in October, he came from behind to do so.
A T10 finish at the Phoenix Open earlier this month underlined the fact that he is maintaining his great early-season form and the Genting Casino golf odds of 22/1, might represent a little bit of value.
The Kansas native was T2 at Sawgrass last year with a score of 14 under par, after shooting a final-round 67.
MARC LEISHMAN
With four T10 finishes and a win in the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpar already this year and making the cut in each of his eight tournaments played, the Australian would appear to be one for the shortlist.
His 71.4% greens hit in regulation is worth noting and while he has missed a couple of cuts and also had a couple of T10 finishes here in the past few years, he comes into this in better form that he has in previous seasons.
This particular Pete Dye course can torment many of the world’s best, but if you are playing well, it is a course on which birdies can be made. Leishman had his troubles at Sawgrass earlier in his career, but experience is one extra club in his bag and he has overcome any mental hurdles, so at odds of 50/1, he might be one for the each-way bettor.
KEEGAN BRADLEY
Of all the outsiders, Keegan Bradley at 80/1 might give us a run for our money. His first two rounds at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill were solid.
He took a share of a four-shot, 36-hole lead into Saturday and then went all ‘Spursy’, bogeying his first three holes and began to fall down the leaderboard.
In the end, he went six over for the final round and ended on an even par T46 finish. It was brutal. Yet, he has proved that he still has the ability to compete at the top of the leaderboard.
Bradley had a T10 in the WGC-Mexico Championship and was solid in the Sony Open with a nine-under T29 finish before that.
Bradley ended his drought of nearly six years without a win with a victory at the BMW Championship last September at Aronimink, and while his confidence had been shot, he appears to be getting his game together, despite a couple of bad rounds at Bay Hill.
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