The week of The Players Championship is one of the best stretches on the golf calendar, and despite the absence of Tiger Woods this week at TPC Sawgrass, this year's edition -- if the first quarter of 2021 was any foreshadowing at all -- should produce the goods. Many of the top 50 players are coming into the event on form.
We've had a stretch of tournaments that has included wins from Patrick Reed, Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau. Oh yeah, and the other one was an absolute war between Tony Finau and Max Homa at the best course with the best field of the year. It's been an embarrassment of riches if you're into top-tier golf, and this week at TPC Sawgrass will be a nice capper to this ridiculous run.
Though it would seem like this week should culminate with another big-name winner, this tournament is slippery when it comes to predictions. As Justin Ray pointed out, it doesn't favor just one kind of golfer, which makes it fun to watch but difficult to handicap even when many of the best in the world are playing well. It has produced wins from Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson, but it has also produced wins from Stephen Ames, Tim Clark and Si Woo Kim. Nobody knows what's going to happen this week.
However, if I had to narrow it down to nine golfers I think will walk away with that golden statue at the end of 72 holes on Sunday evening, these are the nine I'm most confident trotting out as potential champions for the crown jewel in the PGA Tour's slate. Be sure to check out our full slate of 2021 Players expert picks.
2021 Players Championship predictions, picks
| 1 | |
| My pick to win this week. He's built for TPC Sawgrass. He's also been sniffing a victory all year and is the 2021 leader in strokes gained overall. Sawgrass exposes any holes you have, and he does not have any right now. Odds: 20-1 | |
| 2 | |
| Why not? It's not like Bay Hill is just a beast of a track that he wrestled to the ground with his Orgain-infused paws. He wins at places you don't think he should win it when you look at his physique. Though he fancies himself a strongman, fast and firm with long rough is actually perfect for him. We may or may not get that this week, but if we do, he should be in the thick (or thicc) of it. Odds: 16-1 | |
| 3 | |
| I actually believe him when he says he figured out what was wrong with his driver, and I care less about a five-round bad run with him than I do with anyone else on the planet. Leads the world in strokes gained tee to green in 2021. Odds: 12-1 | |
| 4 | |
| Shot 68 in Round 1 last year in his debut before it was canceled, and he seems to have everything straightened out after a bit of lacking motivation created a drop off following his 2020 PGA Championship win. The best iron player in the world in 2021. Odds: 20-1 | |
| 5 | |
| He's only played here twice, and one of those was a T2 finish to Webb Simpson back in 2018. He's a big-game hunter in terms of getting in the mix. The bigger questions for him will most likely come on Sunday. Odds: 20-1 | |
| 6 | |
| I don't feel great about it, but I have to include him if only because I'll feel like a fool if he repeats and I don't have him on here. His "bad" stuff has resulted in a T10 and T6 in his last two events, and he's already proven he doesn't have to putt around here to win the event. Odds: 16-1 | |
| 7 | |
| He's the forgotten man right now. Either he or Rory has the highest floor of anybody on the planet, which keeps him in the mix of pretty much every tournament he plays. Since the start of 2020, he's finished outside the top 20 in just seven events. Odds: 16-1 | |
| 8 | |
| The more he doesn't win, the more confident I am about him winning if only because of the statistical improbability of him continuing to not win. Odds: 25-1 | |
| 9 | |
| Only D.J. and Morikawa have been better with their irons this year. The driver has been a struggle, but when there's any murkiness over the type of player who performs well at a given course, I run straight to iron play. He'll benefit if the Tour makes this place fast and firm throughout. Odds: 18-1 | |
Who will win the Players Championship, and which long shots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that's nailed six golf majors and is up over $11,000 since the restart to find out.
