The famous sparkling crystal trophy is up for grabs this week as a star-studded field jets off to the Pete Dye designed TPC Sawgrass for the eagerly anticipated 45th edition of The Players Championship, golf’s unofficial ‘fifth major’.
Jason Day heads to Florida on the back of his success at the Wells Fargo Championship last weekend, his second PGA Tour triumph of 2018. The Aussie, who won The Players Championship two years ago, has been installed as the 14/1 favourite to make it back-to-back tour wins, and on current form he’s going to be tough to beat.
One man we like the look of is Rickie Fowler at 20/1. The American is very much hit-or-miss at the tournament, having failed to make the cut multiple times, however when he’s tip-top form he excels. Fowler triumphed at Sawgrass three years ago after edging out Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner in a play-off, while he finished runner-up to Matt Kuchar in 2012. He’s undoubtedly a gamble, but one that’s worth taking.
However, our pick of the bets is Henrik Stenson at a tasty 28/1. The popular Swede knows what it takes to win here having done so in 2009 when he finished four strokes clear, a winning margin which has not been topped since. Stenson, who came 3rd in 2006, has four top-20 standings in his last six appearances at the ‘fifth major’, plus he’s in good form too, having recorded three top-6 finishes in his last three singles events.
Elsewhere, Tiger Woods is a 35/1 shot to become the first player since Jack Nicklaus to win The Players three times. Woods first won the tournament in 2001, before eventually doubling up in 2013, in what remains his second-to-last-win on the PGA Tour.
Woods will play alongside foe-turned-friend Phil Mickelson who is a touch shorter at 33/1 to join Woods on two wins at Sawgrass (he won the event back in 2007).
Jordan Spieth may be one of the favourites for glory at 16/1, but given that the American has failed to make the cut in each of his last three showings at Sawgrass, he could be one to avoid this week. Meanwhile. Dustin Johnson, 18/1, doesn’t tend to fare well either, finishing in the top-20 only once.
Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas both go in search of their first success at The Players, and can be backed at 14/1 and 16/1 respectively in the betting, with Justin Rose available at 28/1, while defending champion Kim Si-woo is a 90/1 outsider. However, it’s worth remembering that there’s surprisingly never been a back-to-back winner.
