The Players Championship: Everything you need to know

The Players Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary at this year’s tournament as golf’s strongest field pitches up at TPC Sawgrass.

The tournament is often dubbed as the “unofficial fifth major” in men’s golf due to the calibre of field and the fact it’s the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

Played at the same course every year, players will battle their way round Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, which is famously home to the par-3 17th hole.

This year’s tournament will mark 50 years since the first hosting of the tournament, with 18-time major championship winner Jack Nicklaus taking the very first title back in 1974.

The cream always rises to the top at TPC Sawgrass with World No 1 Scottie Scheffler claiming victory at last year’s tournament with an incredible five-shot victory.

Recent winners of the tournament include Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith and Justin Thomas to name a few.

The Players Championship: The Details

• Dates: March 14-17, 2024
• Course: Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass
• Par: 72
• Length: 7,275 yards
• Prize purse: $25 million
• Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler (-17)

The Players Championship: Useful links

• Who’s in the field for the 2024 Players Championship?
• 2024 Players Championship prize money
• Who’s had a hole-in-one at The Players Championship?
• Hole-by-hole guide to TPC Sawgrass
• Who has won The Players Championship?
• A brief history of The Players
• Which player is on The Players Championship trophy?

NCG on the ground at The Players Championship

Daily round-ups:

Round one: Rules, Rory and Ryan Fox: Everything from The Players Championship day one
Round two: Wyndham blows away field in Players Championship second round

Everything else…

• Talks with the PIF are ‘accelerating’ says PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan
• Tiger Woods, LIV Golfers, resignation: What did Jay Monahan say at TPC Sawgrass?
• Xander Schauffele delivers brutal take on PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan
• Who is to blame for ‘splintering’ between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf?
• Tommy Fleetwood: Missing LIV Golfers take nothing away from The Players
• How Jerry Pate ignored the noise surrounding Sawgrass to win The Players
• What is it like to make your Players Championship debut?
• Rory McIlroy fights Jay Monahan’s corner: ‘We all need to move on’
• Rory, Spieth, and Hovland face off in rules spat at The Players
• Stunning shot-tracers on a misty morning: Practising in the dark at The Players
• A weight has been lifted! Fitzpatrick solves driver woes in bizarre fashion
• A Park to the Palace: The last 3 holes at TPC Sawgrass is another world entirely
• Jordan Spieth: We are being encouraged to meet with the PIF
• Who missed the cut at The Players Championship?
• ‘We need to play faster on the PGA Tour’: Darkness halts play twice at The Players

Everything you need to know about the 2024 Players Championship

Check out our comprehensive coverage of the 2024 Players Championship – from frequently asked questions, to the competition’s unique heritage, and how the course is shaping up – by reading and clicking on some of the links below.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Players Championship

When and where will The Players Championship take place?

This year’s edition – the 50th edition of the competition – will take place on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass and will take place between March 14-17, 2024.

Take a look at our hole-by-hole guide of TPC Sawgrass here.

Who won the last Players Championship?

Scottie Scheffler (-17) was victorious at last year’s tournament with a five-shot victory over Tyrrell Hatton (-12).

You can check out all the past winners of the tournament here.

Before that, you can test your knowledge by taking on our quiz. Can you name all the winners of the tournament? Try it out here.

What is the history around the Players Championship?

Did you know TPC Sawgrass was not the original venue of the tournament?

The first edition, held back in 1974, was actually played at the Atlanta Country Club. Now, though, TPC Sawgress is synonymous with the Players Championship.

Check out the detailed history of the tournament here, as we reach the 50th edition.

How do golfers qualify for The Players Championship?

There are a number of ways that players can qualify for the event at TPC Sawgrass, these are:

• Win a PGA Tour event since the last Players Championship
• Be inside the top 10 in the FedEx Cup at the conclusion of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.
• Be in the top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking on March 4.
• Should further players be required to complete the 144 man field, players will be selected from outside the top 10 in the FedEx Cup standings at the conclusion of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches on March 3 in order of position.

You can see the full field for the 2024 Players Championship here.

What are the odds for the 2024 Players Championship?

Betting for the 2024 Players Championship is currently unavailable via Bet365.

Please click here for when they go live.

Take a look at who we think are the players to put your money on, along with a couple of different markets, here.

What are the tee times for the 2024 Players Championship?

Rory McIlroy will play alongside Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth in one of the marquee groups as the Players Championship tee times were announced.

The four-time major champion, who won this event in 2019, starts his latest challenge from the 10th hole at 12.35pm UK time on Thursday. The trio will begin the second round from the 1st hole at 5.40pm UK time on Friday

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is joined by Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas over the first two days of the 50th edition of The Players at TPC Sawgrass (1st tee 5.40pm on Thursday, 10th tee 12.35pm on Friday).

You can find the complete tee times for the tournament here.

Is there a cut at the Players Championship?

With the PGA Tour’s flagship event being what’s known as a Full-Field Event (144 players), there is a cut after two rounds.

The top 65 and ties will make it through to the weekend and do battle for that gorgeous trophy. To see the full explainer on the cut rules at the Players, take a look at our piece here.

Could there be a playoff to decide the winner?

If there are two or more players tied at the top after four rounds, then the Player Championship will be decided on a playoff.

For more on the exact rules to decide the winner of the competition, check out our piece on the playoff rules here.

Can LIV Golf players play at TPC Sawgrass?

No, as The Players Championship is an official PGA Tour event, therefore, we won’t be seeing any LIV Golf members tee it up in Ponte Vedra.

How can I watch The Players Championship?

The event will be broadcast around the world by various broadcast partners. In the United Kingdom, action from all four days of the tournament will be shown live on Sky Sports. You can check out when the action is live here.

Comprehensive coverage, including live scoring, shot-by-shot data, and player highlights, will be available on the PGA Tour’s website and app.

How much will the winner take home from TPC Sawgrass?

The winner of the the tournament will pocket $4,500,000.

You can see the full breakdown of the prize purse for the event here.

What is the significance of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass?

The par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass adds to the pressure of the tournament coming down the stretch with drama created by the fact the green is surrounded by water.

Many of the tournament’s iconic moments have come at the famous hole, from hole-in-ones to players dunking their golf balls in the water at crucial stages in the tournament.

How many hole-in-ones have there been at the 17th hole?

There have been a total of 13 hole-in-ones at the famous island green hole.

To find out the full list of players, please click here.

Are you excited to see TPC Sawgrass in all its glory once again? Who do you think will take the title? Let us know with a post on X, formerly Twitter!