A revamped Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass awaits probably the most competitive field in all of golf this week as the PGA Tour's premiere event in the 2017 Players Championship takes place. The few years have been a thrill. From Martin Kaymer's crazy close to Rickie Fowler's assault on No. 17 to Jason Day's triumph, this tournament seems to deliver the goods more often than not.

With how this year has gone and the winners we have seen, I would expect more of the same this week. The champions of this tournament are varied in both number of wins and style of play. Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods have won here. So have K.J. Choi and Matt Kuchar. You never really know what you're going to get, but these are the five golfers I think are most likely to take home this year's tournament.

Rory McIlroy: He has finished in the top 12 here in each of the last four seasons including three straight top 10s. I'm fascinated by the next phase of his career which will include a marriage and a brand-new equipment deal. He was as relaxed as I've ever seen him in his Tuesday press conference, which could spell trouble for the rest of the PGA Tour. The word he used most on Tuesday was "settled," which is a frightening thought for some of the best players in the world.

Despite Dustin Johnson's recent success, McIlroy is still "the guy" of this generation. Will this ushering in of a new era of his life bring oodles of on-course success with it. McIlroy referenced Jack Nicklaus' work-life balance in his presser. 

"I never saw Jack in his prime," said McIlroy. "He won the Masters in '86. I was born in '89. So I never really saw him when he was right at the peak of his powers, but that three-series documentary (on Golf Channel) and just some of the stuff that he's done and what he was able to accomplish. I think he had a great balance in his life between going and being with his family but also being this unbelievable competitor on the course."

This seems like a template McIlroy wants to use in the future. Might that start this week?

Dustin Johnson: His track record at this event is not ideal (no top 25s), but would you bet against him right now? Seriously, how many clubs would I have to take out of his bag before you would bet against Johnson winning a professional golf tournament? Two? More?

Johnson has only lost to three golfers in the last three months (five total tournaments), and the Stadium Course would fit nicely in his collection of monster tracks (including a few this year). I'm in on him putting even more distance between himself and McIlroy at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings. 

Sergio Garcia: He's a wild card for me this week. Garcia has not played since the Masters, but his success here is well-documented. He's the all-time earnings leader at The Players and has a win and a loss in a playoff. He noted recently that his career didn't end at the Masters which is true. The question this week for me is whether that win is the tearing down of a dam or if there will be a hangover from so much time off and a (much deserved) green jacket world tour.

Justin Thomas: He could have won this event last year in just his second trip. He's coming off a T22 at the Masters and a T5 at the Zurich Classic team event. Despite his prolific early career success, Thomas is still looking for a signature win to stamp his superstardom. It will come eventually in the form of a Players Championship or a major. The question is whether it will be this week. 

Jordan Spieth: Hey, it's Justin Thomas' good buddy! Spieth nearly won this tournament back in 2014 but has missed two cuts since. Spieth has only missed one cut all season (11 events) and otherwise has not finished outside the top 30. He's currently top 15 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee to green and is hitting it really well after a semi-down year with his iron play last season. He has the mental capacity to stay engaged for 72 holes here which is paramount on a course that can be frustrating and virulent.