With the 2026 golf season in full swing, The Players Championship odds for this year’s “fifth major” are on the board. Rory McIlroy is aiming for back-to-back titles, but Scottie Scheffler is listed as the most likely winner at TPC Sawgrass.
In this betting preview, I break down the latest outright odds, evaluate the leading contenders, and share my best Players Championship picks.
The Players Championship 2026 Winner Odds
The following odds to win The Players Championship are courtesy of Lucky Rebel:
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +400 |
| Rory McIlroy | +1200 |
| Collin Morikawa | +1800 |
| Ludvig Aberg | +2200 |
| Si Woo Kim | +2200 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2500 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2500 |
| Cameron Young | +3000 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +3500 |
| Russell Henley | +3500 |
Scheffler (+400) returns to TPC Sawgrass searching for his third Players Championship in four years. He enters Ponte Vedra Beach with a 20% implied probability to win, per top golf betting sites.
Following Scheffler, McIlroy (+1200) holds a 7.7% implied chance to capture consecutive titles. He put together a fantastic run last spring, highlighted by a win at the Masters. Whether the Northern Irishman can recapture that form at TPC Sawgrass remains to be seen, but he’s widely expected to be in contention on Sunday.
Collin Morikawa (+1800) rounds out the top three, with a 5.3% implied chance to win his second tournament of the year. With this in mind, there is still a sizable gap between Scheffler and the rest of the field at Lucky Rebel.
You can find up-to-date 2026 Players Championship odds at Lucky Rebel by navigating to All Sports (A-Z) > Golf > Golf Futures > PGA THE PLAYERS.
The Players Championship Format and Key Info
The 2026 Players Championship is scheduled for Thursday, March 12 to Sunday, March 15, at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, FL. The tournament will take place on TPC Sawgrass’ PLAYERS Stadium Course.
123 golfers are registered to play in The Players Championship, with 46 out of 50 players in the top 50 of the OWGR in the field. They are scheduled to play four rounds of stroke play across 7,352 yards on a par 72 course.
The Players Championship is not considered a major, but it offers one of the largest purses in 2026 at $25 million. The champion’s share includes $4.5 million in winnings.
The Players Championship 2026 Betting Favorites
Before diving into The Players best bets, let’s dissect the contender at the top of the board and their betting profile for TPC Sawgrass:
Scottie Scheffler (+400)
Scheffler will look to make a big splash in his first marquee tournament of the season. He’s already enjoyed some success on the PGA Tour in 2026, including a win at The American Express. While Scheffler perhaps hasn’t looked as dominant as he was over the last two years, it’s a very young season and he is still in very good form.
With 13 PGA Tour wins since the start of 2023, Scottie Scheffler has set a standard that’s nearly impossible to match. He enters The Players ranked 3rd in SG: Total, 2nd in SG: Off-the-Tee, and 5th in SG: Tee-to-Green, with top‑5 finishes in nine of his last eleven starts.
You won’t find that kind of consistency anywhere else on the PGA Tour. He’s also won two of the last three Players Championships, underscoring both his comfort level and course fit at TPC Sawgrass. While he slipped to T20 here in 2025, those victories in 2023 and 2024 highlight just how dangerous he is on this layout.
He is coming off a frustrating result at Bay Hill in a T24 performance at two-under par. Scheffler wasn’t on top of his game at the Genesis Invitational for a T12 effort.
Scottie Scheffler tosses his ball into the water and had a few choice words after a bogey on 18.
He is currently 3-under, 10 shots off the lead. pic.twitter.com/zDkCqoO1dW
— Thomas Cook (@ThomasCookTV) March 6, 2026
Naturally, though, you can’t count Scheffler out this week. The question is whether there’s enough betting value at +400 after he finished outside of the top 10 in back-to-back starts for the first time in the last three seasons.
At such a short price in a deep, volatile field, I’m not convinced there is, and I’d rather look elsewhere for my Players Championship betting picks.
Rory McIlroy (+1200)
McIlroy looks to repeat after he went on a memorable tear last season. Following his win over J.J. Spaun in a playoff, he won his first Masters title a month later at Augusta National. Can McIlroy duplicate that success this year?
He’ll need to overcome a back injury if it’s going to happen. After impressive results for T2 at the Genesis Invitational, the 36-year-old withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational at 4-under par in Round 3.
It wasn’t a bad effort from McIlroy, but the pain was ultimately too much to overcome. That leaves several questions heading into TPC Sawgrass this year. While I do expect McIlroy to tee it up, it’s fair to wonder what kind of form he’ll bring into the week.
Rory McIlroy provided an update on his lingering back issue:
“The back is being a bit more stubborn than we thought, so I’m staying at home today and tomorrow to continue treatment in South Florida with the hope to travel to Ponte Vedra on Wednesday at some point.”
via… pic.twitter.com/FUK3RA7bCW
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) March 9, 2026
As the defending champion, it’s tough for oddsmakers to drop him too far down the board, but it’s equally hard to justify him as the second favorite. On the season, McIlroy still ranks 1st in SG: Total and SG: Tee-to-Green, and 6th in SG: Approach, which underscores just how high his baseline remains.
Even without a win in 2026, McIlroy has regularly been in the mix on Sundays. Still, I’m not eager to back him at +1200 given the lingering concerns about his back injury.
Collin Morikawa (+1800)
The Players Championship is shaping up well for Morikawa in 2026. He has been known for his inconsistent play over recent years. That isn’t how pundits expected his career to transpire, but he’s been in great form as of late.
Morikawa has finished 1st, T7, and 5th in his last three starts. The surge in form comes at the perfect time with The Players ahead and major season right around the corner. The 29-year-old Los Angeles native sits 8th in SG: Total and 5th in SG: Approach to Green.
COLLIN MORIKAWA WINS AT PEBBLE BEACH!
It's been 847 days since he has won on the PGA Tour. He survives high winds and a long wait on 18 to grab a massive victory. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1LuEhu6SIP
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) February 15, 2026
He also ranks 3rd in SG: Tee-to-Green, which should serve him well around TPC Sawgrass. Last year, he turned in a strong performance on this course with a T10 finish in the 2025 Players Championship. He also finished T13 in Ponte Vedra in 2023.
With Morikawa’s confidence building and his current hot streak, it’s hard to discount him at these generous odds. Oddsmakers could probably flip McIlroy’s and Morikawa’s numbers, and that would be closer to the mark.
Best Players Championship 2026 Longshot Bets
Before finalizing your Players Championship 2026 picks, ensure that you play at least a couple of longshots. I’ve highlighted my top dark horses to cash below:
The Players Championship 2026 Predictions and Betting Pick
Scheffler is undoubtedly the biggest threat at The Players Championship. I expect him to bounce back from his last two tournaments and finish inside the top 10. But at +400, there isn’t much value in betting him outright before the event.
If you like Scheffler, I’d wait for the live betting markets and see if a better number appears after Round 1. For a pre-tournament ticket, though, I’m leaning toward Collin Morikawa at +1800.
Morikawa is a streaky player who thrives on momentum and confidence. Right now, he has more of both than he’s had in a long time. I’d price him closer to +1200, so I’m happy to grab +1800 to win The Players Championship.
He’s playing his best golf in a while, and I expect him to keep firing at pins and creating birdie looks. In short, Morikawa is my top outright bet to win The Players at TPC Sawgrass this week.
Where to Bet on The Players Championship?
The Players Championship is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the calendar and a popular event for bettors. Betting on The Players odds is made easy at Lucky Rebel in 2026.
With winner odds available on every golfer in the field, an array of prop bets, and even live betting, Bovada is your best bet for The Players Championship.
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