The PLAYERS Championship is unlike any other event on the PGA Tour. It is truly one of its own kind. No, it’s not universal enough to be called a major. However, the stature of the event remains very similar to them. Sometimes dubbed as the ‘fifth major,’ the 2025 edition will witness all the top golfers in the PGA Tour face off at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course starting from April 13.

With a $25 million purse and the winner getting $4.5 million for his efforts, the stakes are probably the highest on the Tour so far. It is also the best possible preparation for the upcoming majors as the field offers extreme levels of competition that can draw a parallel with the Augusta National tournament. But who has the best chance to win this highly celebrated and much-awaited event? Let’s take a look.

      5. Sepp Straka

Straka has had a PGA Tour season to remember. Despite winning only one event – The American Express Open, Straka leads the FedEx Cup ranking with 1200 points to his name. The Austrian has four top 10 finishes including a T5 at the recently concluded Arnold Palmer Invitational.

His highest ever finish came at the 2022 PLAYERS Championship when he registered a T9 spot. The three-time PGA Tour winner finished an impressive T16 in the last edition, but could this be the season he could get over the hump and claim the title? With injuries and shoddy form hampering several players around him, Straka could sneak in and become the first Austrian ever to win the title at Florida.

      4. Rory McIlroy

If there is someone who is a big tournament player in golf, it would be Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irish golfer has won 27 PGA Tour events, and of that only 11 remain standard events. The rest 16 include four majors, two signature events, three World Golf Championship events, and six FedEx Cup Playoff Events. He also has won the PLAYERS Championship in 2019 beating Jim Furyk by one stroke.

The 27-time PGA Tour winner holds the second best odds to win the 2025 edition. He has already won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and is yet to finish outside the top 20 at the PGA Tour, having finished T17 at the Genesis Invitational and T15 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. McIlroy also finished an impressive T4 at the Dubai Desert Classic.

      3. Russel Henley

The American felt no pressure as he calmly drained the putt for par at the 18th hole in Bay Hill. That was his first title in nearly three years, a one stroke victory over the unshakeable Collin Morikawa. Henley’s victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational is only his fifth PGA Tour victory during a professional career spanning nearly 14 years.

But still the impact of the victory was very resounding. Firstly, it capped off an incredible start to the 2025 PGA Tour season for the Georgia resident. He had made the cut at all the six events he has played and also registered 4 Top 10 finishes to go along with it. This was also Henley’s first ever signature event title.

Secondly, it vaulted Henley to the second place in FedEx Cup rankings, with 1194 points,  just six behind leader Sepp Straka. Henley’s form is his biggest asset as he has finished top 6 or higher in three of the last four events. It would be a big miss if he is not considered as one of the favourites heading to the iconic event at the Stadium Course in the Ponte Vedra Beach.

      2. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa has had a revelation of a 2025 PGA Tour season. The American is currently fifth in the FedEx points list, but that is only because he has played in four events in the 2025 season. He has finished no lower than 17 and has finished runner-up twice – the Sentry and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

His remarkable performance at a tough course like Bay Hill is evidence enough showed the Nevada native can make a difference when focused. The six-time PGA Tour winner holds the third-best odds to win the tournament. T13 is his best ever finish at the PLAYERS which came in 2023. Last year he had a difficult time at TPC Sawgrass finishing T45. He will be looking for redemption, and possibly a victory at the iconic event.

      1. Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler is far from his prime form. The rust is still evident in his game during the Arnold Palmer Invitational, struggling with his short game. But what he has to his advantage is that he has been winning at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course for the last two years. He can equal Jack Nicklaus’s record of three wins at the PLAYERS and can do him one better, by winning all three in a row.

Despite missing a significant amount of time due to injury, the World No.1 has been phenomenal on the course, registering four top 25 finishes in four starts. This includes a stellar T3 at the Genesis Invitational, only his third tournament after returning from injury.

Scheffler can be quite scary when he gets himself comfortable and The PLAYERS Championship seems like a pretty comfortable place for the two-time Major winner. He also holds the best odds for victory at the flagship event.

Eight former champions, including Scheffler and McIlroy, are featured on the field. These include Justin Thomas(2020), Adam Scott(2004), Jason Day(2016), Rickie Fowler(2015), Kim Si-Woo(2017), and Matt Kuchar(2012). Tiger Woods, who is eligible and a former winner, will not feature.

With such a strong field, it is difficult to pick a clear winner. Who do you have winning this coveted title?