THE 2025 PLAYERS Championship is on its final Sunday round, and emotions are running high. What will happen once the winner claims the title? The winner will take home a whopping $4.5 million and 750 FedExCup points, along with the PLAYERS signature trophy: a sterling silver and 24k gold vermeil trophy. So, who’s likely to take home this win?

At this point, Akshay Bhatia leads the leaderboard with a score of -11. Interestingly, he isn’t alone in this bid; two other strong contenders, Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun, are close behind. Bud Cauley follows them in fourth place, with Collin Morikawa trailing closely at -8. Undoubtedly, the tension is high, with many golf enthusiasts betting that McIlroy may take home this win. But hold on—can we question whether it’s true that when Tiffany & Co. designed the trophy in 2019, it was modeled after Rory McIlroy? Let’s hear it from the TPC Sawgrass storyteller, Philip!

Philip shares the major details of the trophy. As per National Club Golfer, it measures seven and three-quarters inches wide and stands 17 inches tall, weighing 7.6 pounds. So, what’s so interesting about this latest design? “The golfer is in the classic PGA Tour pro pose. He’s also standing on the outline of the 17th. What they did was they took each computer and they put in every winner from 1974 to 2018. And a computer-generated face overlay of this guy. So, he’s everybody but nobody.”

The trophy was created using a process called “electroforming.” Through computer modeling, the Tiffany & Co. designers combined features from the 38 past winners of The PLAYERS, starting with the only three-time winner, Jack Nicklaus, and ending with Webb Simpson. This hard work required 115 hours over approximately six months! In addition to the 17th green, the trophy is surrounded by water and Peter Dye’s signature pilings. Interestingly, this isn’t the only trophy Tiffany designed for the Tour. The brand has also designed the FedExCup trophy, the Arnold Palmer Invitational trophy, and the Charles Schwab Cup Championship trophy!

So, is it true that Rory McIlroy was nearly the face of the trophy? According to Philip, the 2019 PLAYERS winner was the first choice. However, as mentioned, the trophy represents 38 of the PLAYERS winners, not just one. Even so, when the 2019 PLAYERS Championship took place and McIlroy took home the win, he was fortunate enough to be the first to bag this trophy! So, if someone asks you who proudly stands on THE PLAYERS Championship trophy, your answer should be: many! Not just one. However, the trophy has undergone major changes before reaching this point. Here’s a look at its evolution.

Chronology of THE PLAYERS Championship trophy since its inception

When you compare the latest trophy with the first one—a wood and bronze plaque known as the Joseph C. Dey Jr. trophy—you might feel underwhelmed. This trophy remained in use from 1974 to 1981, with Jack Nicklaus claiming three of these plaque trophies! But did it stay the same over time? No.

In 1982, THE PLAYERS moved to its current course at TPC Sawgrass, which brought a change to its winning prize. To make the trophy more attractive, the Tour revealed a large black slab of granite featuring a golden golfer and silver trees. What happens? Former PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman found it impractical. Though you can still find the trophy sitting in the front hall of the TPC Sawgrass, the team decided to look for a better alternative.

Designers at Waterford Crystal spent up to 40 hours engraving intricate details of the golf scene on the front of the crystal. Finally, in 2007, they altered the bottom of the vase to allow space for the winner’s name at the base. Despite this slight change, the trophy remained in use for 20 years! Jerry Pate was the first golfer to raise it back in 1982, with Webb Simpson being the last to cradle the crystal darling in 2018. Additionally, it even survived the tournament’s name change in 1988!

Then, the Tour once again made an effort to create a more interesting design, leading to the birth of the latest PLAYERS Championship trophy. Given this history, who do you want to hold the trophy this season? Let us know!