Scotty Scheffler hits on the 18th hole during the second round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Friday, March 14, 2025. (Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union) PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Players Championship has made a habit of delivering high drama in iconic venues that suit a wide range of golfers, and this week’s edition promises just that as World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler looks for a rare third victory in the event.
Other major contenders include world No. 2 and defending champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who is trying to overcome a back injury that forced him out of last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational and later joined TPC Sawgrass, and No. 5 Justin Rose, who won his 13th PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open last month.
Elite Field is one of the strongest golf courses in the world, with the top 10 golfers in the world and 47 of the top 50 converging on Sawgrass for the 52nd tournament.
But Scheffler will draw plenty of attention from fans as he seeks his 21st career Tour title at a venue where he won in 2023 and 2024. Only golf great Jack Nicklaus has won the PGA Tour’s flagship event three times, and Scheffler looks set to match him.
“I don’t know if my approach to this tournament has changed much, but I think it suits my game because I have to play a lot of different shots,” Scheffler said ahead of Thursday’s opener, playing in a key group alongside world No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood and No. 14 Justin Thomas. “I think bending the ball in different directions and hitting different spins is something I’ve always enjoyed about the game of golf.”
Scheffler hasn’t replicated last year’s dominant form this season, but he can still point to a win at the American Express in January and two top-10 finishes in five starts.
“When it comes to expectations for my golf game and myself, my expectations are based on what I want for myself mentally on the golf course, to commit to what I can do and control that aspect,” said the 29-year-old Texas resident. “Throughout this season, I’ve been really good in some areas, and I’ve felt like I could improve in other areas in terms of commitment to the shot.”
Scheffler has long admired TPC Sawgrass’ various golf tests, which have seen victories by surprise winners like Craig Perks and Fred Funk and expected champions like Tiger Woods and McIlroy.
“When you look at this golf course, you see a variety of winners, and you don’t see one style of player winning this tournament multiple times,” Scheffler said. “It’s very unique in that modern golf is kind of a trend, where you have a small area to hit, where you have to take a few steps back.
“And if you’re a long hitter, there are certain holes where you can definitely use your length, but there are also holes where you have to get the ball in play and be able to curve it both ways.”
McIlroy, a two-time champion, will command just as much fan attention as Scheffler, but his tournament prospects remained unclear after he arrived at TPC Sawgrass late Wednesday afternoon to test his back and swing on the practice range.
The Northern Irish are the defending champions. He won the 2025 tournament in a playoff against JJ Spaun.
McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational before the third round on Saturday after feeling “a little soreness” in his back while warming up in the gym. He was recovering and receiving treatment at home before arriving in Sawgrass on Wednesday.
Rose, 45, will be looking for his second PGA Tour victory this season after winning by seven strokes at the Farmers. Like Scheffler, Rose loves competing at Sawgrass and has three career top-10 finishes in 20 starts, including a T4 in 2014.
“It’s actually my favorite course.” Rose smiled. “It’s one of the best courses we play on tour. I think it’s a great fit for this championship. It suits all types of players.
“But it’s also tricky. I feel like this is a place where I’d like to get some better results this year. That’s for sure. I’ve had some good weeks here and had some great rounds, but I’d like to get four rounds together this week.”
British Fleetwood, the 2025 FedEx Cup champion, is making his ninth Players appearance and is aiming for his best result at T5 TPC Sawgrass in 2019.
“I’m glad to be back,” he said. “It’s always a tournament that everyone is really excited about. The biggest compliment you can give a golf course is that everyone ranks it very high on their list, and I think there’s always a wide spread of opinion.
“There have already been some big tournaments this year, but The Players where we are now always seems to signal the start of big times to come.”
This week, 123 golfers will tee it up at TPC Sawgrass for the chance to win $4.5 million. Traditionally, the field totaled 144 players, but this year it was reduced to 120 players. Two more players were added as Brooks Koepka, who returned to the PGA Tour through the Returning Member Program, was able to participate in the tournament, bringing the total to a trio of 41 through the first two rounds.
–Mark Lamport-Stokes, Field Level Media
