The unofficial fifth major is finally here as the PGA Tour is in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for The Players Championship. It’s time for TPC Sawgrass to shine and let its ‘island’ green cause some carnage.
This week, the biggest names on the PGA Tour will battle it out to earn a portion of the $25 million purse.
Here’s all the information for the third Florida Swing event.
The Players Championship:
Where: TPC Sawgrass, The Stadium Course (Par-72 7,275 yards)
When: March 14-17
Purse: $25,00,000
FedEx Cup Points: 750
Defending Champion: Scottie Scheffler
How to Watch the Players Championship:
This week, NBC and the Golf Channel will share television coverage of The Players Championship. The Golf Channel will broadcast the first two rounds while NBC will take over for the weekend.
Kevin Kisner returns to the booth for The Players potentially as Paul Azinger’s permanent replacement.
Fans can tune into Golf Channel for ‘Live from the Players’ as the broadcast teams perform their shows on the property all week. Tuesday and Wednesday will have almost all-day coverage. Golf Channel will be live from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. on both those days.
The network will also be live before and after each tournament day.
The full schedule follows below:
Thursday, March. 14: 1-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Friday, March 15: 1-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday, March 16: 2-7 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday, March 17: 1-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
How to Stream The Players Championship:
ESPN+ will offer streams of The Players Championship starting at 7:30 a.m. ET. The network will also provide featured and marquee group coverage daily.
The ESPN+ air times for its main feed are as follows:
Thursday, March 14:
Stream 1: Main feed (7:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET); Featured (1-7 p.m.);
Stream 2: Marquee (8:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET); Featured (1-7 p.m.)
Stream 3: Featured (8:15 a.m.-1 p.m. ET); Featured Hole (1-7 p.m.)
Stream 4: Featured Holes (8 a.m.- 7 p.m. ET)
Friday, March 15:
Stream 1: Main feed (7:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET); Featured (2-7 p.m.);
Stream 2: Marquee (8:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET); Featured (2-7 p.m.)
Stream 3: Featured (8:15 a.m.-1 p.m. ET); Featured Hole (2-7 p.m.)
Stream 4: Featured Holes (8 a.m.- 7 p.m. ET)
Saturday, March 16:
Stream 1: Main feed (8 a.m.- 2 p.m. ET); Featured (1-6 p.m.);
Stream 2: Marquee (9 a.m.- 2 p.m. ET); Featured (1-6 p.m.)
Stream 3: Featured (8:45 a.m.- 2 p.m. ET); Featured Hole (1-6 p.m.)
Stream 4: Featured Holes (8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. ET)
Sunday, March 17:
Stream 1: Main feed (7:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET); Featured (1-6 p.m.);
Stream 2: Marquee (8:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET); Featured (1-6 p.m.)
Stream 3: Featured (8:15 a.m.- 1 p.m. ET); Featured Hole (1-6 p.m.)
Stream 4: Featured Holes (8 a.m.- 6 p.m. ET)
Peacock will simulcast Golf Channel’s broadcasts during all four days. Coverage can be streamed on Peacock here.
The Players Championship Featured/Marquee Groups
Thursday
Featured Groups
8:35 a.m. ET — Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth (10th hole)
1:40 p.m. ET — Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas (1st hole)
Friday
Featured Groups
8:35 a.m. ET — Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas (10th hole)
1:40 p.m. ET — Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth (1st hole)
The Players Championship Preview:
Ten of the top 12 Official World Golf Ranking players are in the field this week as they look to win big in Florida. It’s known as the unofficial fifth major because of its impressive fields, and this week doesn’t disappoint.
Following a dominating Arnold Palmer Invitational performance, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler looks to go back-to-back at TPC Sawgrass.
His putter switch ahead of Bay Hill paid off big time, as he made 16-of-16 putts from inside 15 feet on Sunday alone.
Scheffler is the odds-on favorite at +500, per DraftKings. Can he defend his title and ward off the others, or will someone else dethrone him?
Rory McIlroy, who comes in at +1200 odds, may have had another Sunday meltdown in Orlando, but don’t count him out at The Players. He is one of the best drivers on Tour right now, and that will help him tackle this track.
Keeping it in the fairway is a must at TPC Sawgrass, so if he can pull it all together, McIlroy could win another gold man trophy.
Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris are also in the mix. While Hovland didn’t do much last week at Bay Hill, he likes TPC Sawgrass. He finished T9 in 2022 and T3 last year, so it could be time for him to win his first event of 2024.
Thomas and Zalatoris played extremely well in Orlando but couldn’t keep up with Scheffler.
Some other guys that could surprise people this week are Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Shane Lowry.
The Players Championship Round 1 Tee Times (ET):
1st Hole
7:40 a.m. — Ryan Moore, Chesson Hadley, Zac Blair
7:51 a.m. — Brandon Wu, Ben Taylor, Carson Young
8:02 a.m. — Alex Noren, Thomas Detry, Joseph Bramlett
8:13 a.m. — Camilo Villegas, Lee Hodges, Tom Hoge
8:24 a.m. — Kurt Kitayama, Chad Ramey, Adam Schenk
8:35 a.m. — Vincent Norrman, Sepp Straka, Chez Reavie
8:46 a.m. — Brice Garnett, Russell Henley, Steve Stricker
8:57 a.m. — Emiliano Grillo, Taylor Moore, Scott Stallings
9:08 a.m. — Billy Horschel, Sungjae Im, Webb Simpson
9:19 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, K.H. Lee, Adam Hadwin
9:30 a.m. — David Lipsky, Justin Lower, Tyson Alexander
9:41 a.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Ben Silverman, Ryo Hisatsune
12:45 p.m.— Doug Ghim, Hayden Buckley, Kevin Yu
12:56 p.m. — Peter Malnati, Beau Hossler, Alex Smalley
1:07 p.m. — Cam Davis, Sam Ryder, Stephan Jaeger
1:18 p.m. — Jake Knapp, Matthieu Pavon, Nick Dunlap
1:29 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa
1:40 p.m. — Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas
1:51 p.m. — Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa, Brian Harman
2:02 p.m. — Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris, Shane Lowry
2:13 p.m. — Austin Eckroat, Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia
2:24 p.m. — Garrick Higgo, S.H. Kim, Andrew Novak
2:35 p.m. — Ben Martin, Eric Cole, Harry Hall
2:46 p.m. — Charley Hoffman, Sam Stevens, Sami Valimaki
10th Hole
7:40 a.m. — Troy Merritt, Taylor Pendrith, Taylor Montgomery
7:51 a.m. — Michael Kim, Aaaron Rai, Carl Yuan
8:02 a.m. — Joel Dahmen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Min Woo Lee
8:13 a.m. — Jason Day, Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar
8:24 a.m. — Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood
8:35 a.m. — Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth
8:46 a.m. — Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott
8:57 a.m. — Nick Taylor, Tom Kim, Justin Rose
9:08 a.m. — Erik van Rooyen, Lucas Glover, Brendon Todd
9:19 a.m. — C.T. Pan, Kevin Streelman, Ryan Fox
9:30 a.m. — Martin Laird, Justin Suh, Greyson Sigg
9:41 a.m. — Nate Lashley, Robby Shelton, Ben Kohles
12:45 p.m.— Byeong Hun An, Patrick Rodgers, Matti Schmid
12:56 p.m. — Denny McCarthy, Matt NeSmith, Nicolai Højgaard
1:07 p.m. — Keith Mitchell, Mark Hubbard, Dylan Wu
1:18 p.m. — Grayson Murray, Seamus Power, Francesco Molinari
1:29 p.m. — Nick Hardy, Matt Wallace, Adam Svensson
1:40 p.m. — Nico Echavarria, J.T. Poston, Harris English
1:51 p.m. — Davis Riley, Corey Conners, J.J. Spaun
2:02 p.m. — Luke List, Gary Woodland, Cameron Young
2:13 p.m. — Chris Kirk, Mackenzie Hughes, Andrew Putnam
2:24 p.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Ben Griffin, Davis Thompson
2:35 p.m. — Tyler Duncan, Maverick McNealy, Callum Tarren
2:46 p.m. — Chan Kim, David Skinns, Jimmy Stanger
The Players Championship Round 2 Tee Times (ET):
1st Hole:
7:40 a.m. — Byeong Hun An, Patrick Rodgers, Matti Schmid
7:51 a.m. — Denny McCarthy, Matt NeSmith, Nicolai Højgaard
8:02 a.m. — Keith Mitchell, Mark Hubbard, Dylan Wu
8:13 a.m. — Grayson Murray, Seamus Power, Francesco Molinari
8:24 a.m. — Nick Hardy, Matt Wallace, Adam Svensson
8:35 a.m. — Nico Echavarria, J.T. Poston, Harris English
8:46 a.m. — Davis Riley, Corey Conners, J.J. Spaun
8:57 a.m. — Luke List, Gary Woodland, Cameron Young
9:08 a.m. — Chris Kirk, Mackenzie Hughes, Andrew Putnam
9:19 a.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Ben Griffin, Davis Thompson
9:30 a.m. — Tyler Duncan, Maverick McNealy, Callum Tarren
9:41 a.m. — Chan Kim, David Skinns, Jimmy Stanger
12:45 p.m. — Troy Merritt, Taylor Pendrith, Taylor Montgomery
12:56 p.m. — Michael Kim, Aaron Rai, Carl Yuan
1:07 p.m. — Joel Dahmen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Min Woo Lee
1:18 p.m. — Jason Day, Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar
1:29 p.m. — Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood
1:40 p.m. — Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth
1:51 p.m. — Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott
2:02 p.m. — Nick Taylor, Tom Kim, Justin Rose
2:13 p.m. — Erik van Rooyen, Lucas Glover, Brendon Todd
2:24 p.m. — C.T. Pan, Kevin Streelman, Ryan Fox
2:35 p.m. — Martin Laird, Justin Suh, Greyson Sigg
2:46 p.m. — Nate Lashley, Robby Shelton, Ben Kohles
10th Hole
7:40 a.m. — Doug Ghim, Hayden Buckley, Kevin Yu
7:51 a.m. — Peter Malnati, Beau Hossler, Alex Smalley
8:02 a.m. — Cam Davis, Sam Ryder, Stephan Jaeger
8:13 a.m. — Jake Knapp, Matthieu Pavon, Nick Dunlap
8:24 a.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa
8:35 a.m. — Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas
8:46 a.m. — Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa, Brian Harman
8:57 a.m. — Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris, Shane Lowry
9:08 a.m. — Austin Eckroat, Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia
9:19 a.m. — Garrick Higgo, S.H. Kim, Andrew Novak
9:30 a.m. — Ben Martin, Eric Cole, Harry Hall
9:41 a.m. — Charley Hoffman, Sam Stevens, Sami Valimaki
12:45 p.m.— Ryan Moore, Chesson Hadley, Zac Blair
12:56 p.m. — Brandon Wu, Ben Taylor, Carson Young
1:07 p.m. — Alex Noren, Thomas Detry, Joseph Bramlett
1:18 p.m. — Camilo Villegas, Lee Hodges, Tom Hoge
1:29 p.m. — Kurt Kitayama, Chad Ramey, Adam Schenk
1:40 p.m. — Vincent Norrman, Sepp Straka, Chez Reavie
1:51 p.m. — Brice Garnett, Russell Henley, Steve Stricker
2:02 p.m. — Emiliano Grillo, Taylor Moore, Scott Stallings
2:13 p.m. — Billy Horschel, Sungjae Im, Webb Simpson
2:24 p.m. — Keegan Bradley, K.H. Lee, Adam Hadwin
2:35 p.m. — David Lipsky, Justin Lower, Tyson Alexander
2:46 p.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Ben Silverman, Ryo Hisatsune
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.