⛳ Updated Players Championship Odds 2026: Scheffler Leads Balanced Oddsboard

The 2026 Players Championship tees off tomorrow morning at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., with even more intrigue than usual around the "fifth major".

Scottie Scheffler (+480) and Rory McIlroy (+1800) - the No. 1 and 2 players, respectively, in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) - enter as betting favorites, but their odds to win aren't as short as we're accustomed to seeing. Scheffler comes off his worst tournament finish since this time last year, and McIlroy has battled a back injury that delayed his arrival to TPC Sawgrass as he prepares to defend his title.

⭐ The Players Championship odds: Favorites

Here are the 2026 Players Championship odds from DraftKings to help with your golf picks. Top-5 and top-10 betting markets include ties. Odds updated as of Wednesday.

💰 Players Championship pick to win: My first click

Collin Morikawa (+2400)

I bet on Collin Morikawa to win the Masters following his third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I've doubled down on him to win his first Players. TPC Sawgrass has long seemed a perfect course for his game, and his improved putting in 2026 could finally bring that fruition. Claude's Players Championship AI predictions also back Morikawa to win.

Morikawa is in his best form in years. He has risen from No. 16 to No. 5 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) already this season, with a win in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and back-to-back top 10s int he ensuing two Signature Events.

The two-time major champion had a career-best T-10 finish at TPC Sawgrass last year. His expert iron and wedge play make him a great course fit for Pete Dye's Stadium Course, but putting has held him back in this event in the past. He's in much better form with the flat stick early in 2026, giving me reason to believe he can finally put the whole puzzle together in his seventh appearance at The Players.

I love the value in Morikawa's early Players Championship odds, and detailed how and why I expect them to shorten by Thursday. His odds dropped to +2000 by Monday morning but have ticked up slightly to +2100 as of Wednesday morning. I wouldn't bet him at anything shorter than this number.

🏆 Players Championship favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+480)

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the OWGR, is the heavy betting favorite to win the 2026 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. He won this event back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first player to win consecutive Players titles.

His winning scores were -17 and -20 respectively. He earned a $4.5 million first-place prize each time.

Scheffler leads all of golf in the following since Jan. 1, according to Data Golf:

• Strokes gained: total (3.17)
• Strokes gained: tee-to-green (2.50)

He's second in strokes gained: approach (1.24), while also gaining strokes off the tee, around the green, and with his putter in this timeframe. 

Though it's considered poor form only for him, Scheffler stumbles into The Players off a T-12 finish in The Genesis Invitational and a T-24 in The Arnold Palmer Invitational. Putting was his biggest weakness the past two weeks, but we know he's conquered the unique greens of TPC Sawgrass. We haven't seen odds of +480 for Scheffler in over a year.

⚕️ Rory McIlroy's Players Championship status

McIlroy has stayed at home in nearby Jupiter, Fla., to treat the back injury that forced his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational ahead of Round 3. He's expected to arrive in Ponte Vedra Beach today, and will attempt to defend his Players Championship title without having played a practice round at TPC Sawgrass.

That said, he's a two-time winner of this event and the defending champion. Those who can stomach the risk can capitalize on the lengthy +1800 odds for McIlroy to win this week. He was +1400 in the pre-tournament odds ahead of last year's win.

💰 My Players Championship picks to win

As touched on above, I'm focusing on value in the outright odds with my Players Championship picks. Here are my best bets to win:

And here are my Players Championship power rankings and best bets:

🎟️ Players Championship field and tee times 2026

Our LJ Blut looks at three Players Championship long-shot picks from the 123-man field.

Here are your tee times for the Players Championship for both Round 1 and Round 2:

🏦 How I'm betting The Players Championship

While we're always advocates of bankroll management at Sportsbook Review, this has been a long winter. I'm ready to kick back and enjoy the sights of TPC Sawgrass and be jealous of those enjoying the warmer weather in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

I'll be going to 1.5 times my usual weekly tournament bankroll - similar to what I do for the majors each year. I'll be sticking mostly to the top of the oddsboard - and waiting on updates regarding McIlroy's health - but will sprinkle in a couple of long-shot tickets as well.

We also usually see an expanded prop bet offering for The Players from our best sports betting sites. This adds to our profit potential, and helps us hedge outright bets.

⛳ Players Championship tournament info

• When: Thursday, March 12 - Sunday, March 15
• Where: TPC Sawgrass (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)
• Purse: $25 million
• FedEx Cup points: 750
• Field: 123
• Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+400 via BetRivers)
• Defending champion: Rory McIlroy
• How to watch: Golf Channel, NBC
• Streaming: Peacock

ℹ️ TPC Sawgrass course info

Consider Pete Dye's most famous design, TPC Sawgrass is said to not favor a specific brand of golf. The one thing that regularly prevails: pedigree and star power. The Players Championship boasts the strongest field in golf. It took at least one step back toward that being true with Brooks Koepka in the 2026 field upon his return to the PGA Tour this season.

The intricate Bermuda greens run fast with challenging slopes often spilling toward the many water hazards. Fairways demand golfers to hit specific landing areas - or risk troublesome rough or further water issues.

The last 10 winning scores have ranged from -10 to -20.

Key stats

Here are the key stats I'll be using when betting on the 2026 Players Championship:

• Strokes gained: approach
• Strokes gained: tee-to-green
• Proximity to the pin (125-150 yards)
• Bogey avoidance
• Driving accuracy over driving distance

📺 How to watch The Players Championship

The 2026 Genesis Invitational will be broadcast over PGA Tour Live (ESPN+), Golf Channel, and CBS. Here's the full broadcast schedule and how to watch each time slot:

☀️ The Players Championship weather

Here is the weather forecast for TPC Sawgrass (Ponta Vedra, Fla.) this week, according to Accuweather:

🎟️ Most bet tickets for Players Championship

📊 Full-field Players Championship odds 2026

💰 Players Championship betting history

❓ The Players Championship FAQs

Who is favored to win The Players Championship?

Scottie Scheffler opened as the favorite to win The Players Championship, with +400 odds via BetRivers. Those odds to win represent an implied win probability of 20%, according to our odds converter.

Who won The Players Championship last year?

Rory McIlroy won The Players Championship in a playoff with a 72-hole score of 12-under par. His pre-tournament odds last year were +1400.

When is The Players Championship?

The 2026 Players Championship will be played from March 12-15.

Where is The Players Championship?

The Players Championship is held annually at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.