2026 PGA Tour Picks
It’s time for the 2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Free Picks, and as always, CappersPicks.com has you covered with PGA golf betting predictions and handicapping insight. With another opportunity to profit from the latest stop on Tour, bettors looking to sharpen their edge can lean on our breakdowns all week long.
If you’re betting this tournament, understanding course history, current form, and where the market tends to overreact matters just as much as the raw numbers themselves.
In other words, blindly backing recognizable names without evaluating how their game translates to TPC Sawgrass is rarely the sharpest betting strategy.
That’s where we come in.
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Where: TPC Sawgrass – THE PLAYERS Stadium Course; Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
- Date: March 12–15, 2026
- Format: Strokes
- Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy
- TV Coverage: NBC, Golf Channel
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Free Picks
The PGA Tour’s Florida swing continues this week with the 52nd edition of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. Widely considered the Tour’s unofficial “fifth major,” the event once again brings together the deepest field in golf.
Naturally, that means bettors are dealing with a loaded board featuring the best players in the world. Two-time champions Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy headline the field, and both arrive with plenty of momentum early in the season.
McIlroy returns to defend his 2025 title after defeating J.J. Spaun in a Monday playoff. Interestingly enough, both players went on to capture major championships later that year — McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam at Augusta, while Spaun secured the U.S. Open title at Oakmont.
This Week on the PGA Tour
This year’s field includes 123 players, slightly smaller than the typical 144-player lineup seen in previous seasons. The base field of 120 increased by one with Brooks Koepka returning to the PGA Tour through the Returning Members Program.
Two additional spots will be filled Monday, bringing the total to 123 competitors and creating 41 threesomes for the opening two rounds.
Meanwhile, the winners of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Puerto Rico Open will automatically qualify for the field if they were not already exempt.
However, two-time PLAYERS champion Tiger Woods is not eligible to compete this week.
Last Year
Rory McIlroy delivered a memorable performance at TPC Sawgrass in 2025, defeating J.J. Spaun in a Monday playoff after a rain delay forced the tournament into extra holes.
The three-hole playoff format lasted just 47 minutes, but McIlroy made the most of it. He unleashed his best drive of the week to set up a comfortable birdie opportunity before delivering a pinpoint 9-iron into the wind that landed safely on the island green at the par-3 17th.
Spaun’s approach, unfortunately, sailed long into the water. The mistake effectively ended his chances, and a triple bogey sealed the outcome.
Thousands of fans braved the cold and windy conditions to witness the dramatic finish. It was also the first three-hole playoff at THE PLAYERS in more than a decade.
Ultimately, McIlroy claimed the $4.5 million winner’s share of the $25 million purse. Spaun’s runner-up finish still earned him $2.725 million and helped elevate him into the top 25 in the world rankings — securing his spot in the Masters.
Since then, Spaun has continued climbing the rankings after capturing his first major championship and rising to No. 9 in the world.
Past THE PLAYERS Championship Winners (2016–2025)
- 2025 — Rory McIlroy
- 2024 — Scottie Scheffler
- 2023 — Scottie Scheffler
- 2022 — Cameron Smith
- 2021 — Justin Thomas
- 2020 — Cancelled
- 2019 — Rory McIlroy
- 2018 — Webb Simpson
- 2017 — Si Woo Kim
- 2016 — Jason Day
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Free Picks – PGA Golf
At the same time, course history and current form remain essential factors when wagering on TPC Sawgrass.
For that reason, identifying players who control their irons, avoid costly mistakes around water hazards, and handle pressure-packed closing holes often proves more valuable than simply backing the biggest names.
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Free Picks & Golf Betting Odds: Collin Morikawa +2000
Morikawa re-enters the conversation after snapping his winless drought earlier this season. Since capturing the Pebble Beach title, he has followed with finishes of T7 and solo fifth.
Additionally, Morikawa has already posted two top-15 finishes at TPC Sawgrass since 2023, suggesting his precision iron play fits the course well.
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Free Picks & Golf Betting Odds: Si Woo Kim +2500
Kim already owns a PLAYERS Championship victory after winning this event in 2017. He has also recorded multiple top-10 finishes here since.
More recently, Kim delivered a career-best performance at Bay Hill with a T13 finish and has now posted seven top-15 results across his last nine worldwide starts.
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Free Picks & Golf Betting Odds: Akshay Bhatia +4000
Bhatia enters the week in outstanding form after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
His aggressive iron play and confidence with the putter make him an intriguing contender at Sawgrass, particularly if he maintains the momentum from Bay Hill.
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Free Picks & Golf Betting Odds: Sahith Theegala +8000
Theegala appears to be enjoying a bounce-back season. He fired a field-leading 66 on Sunday at Bay Hill to finish T6.
After battling injuries last season and failing to record a top-10 finish, Theegala has regained confidence and already owns a T9 finish here from 2024.
Full Handicapping Odds To Win The 2026 THE PLAYERS Championship
Here are the latest odds to win the 2026 THE PLAYERS Championship, laying out the full range of pricing from the short favorites to deeper options. From there, the board naturally breaks into several playable tiers depending on how much risk a bettor is willing to take.
- Scottie Scheffler +440
- Rory McIlroy +1300
- Collin Morikawa +2000
- Si Woo Kim +2500
- Ludvig Åberg +2500
- Tommy Fleetwood +2500
- Xander Schauffele +2700
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship – Mid-Tier Contenders
This part of the board tends to attract bettors searching for value without taking on extreme risk. Meanwhile, this range still offers a workable blend of upside and price when early-season form aligns with strong ball-striking.
- Russell Henley +3000
- Cameron Young +3300
- Hideki Matsuyama +3500
- Min Woo Lee +4000
- Viktor Hovland +4000
- Akshay Bhatia +4000
- Sepp Straka +4500
- Matt Fitzpatrick +4500
- Chris Gotterup +4500
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship – Darkhorse Bets
This tier introduces more volatility, but it also includes players capable of producing breakout performances if their ball-striking and putting align.
- Jake Knapp +5000
- Shane Lowry +5000
- Jordan Spieth +5500
- Brooks Koepka +5500
- Rickie Fowler +5500
- Robert MacIntyre +5500
- Maverick McNealy +6000
- Harris English +6000
- Adam Scott +6000
- Patrick Cantlay +6000
- Daniel Berger +6000
- Kurt Kitayama +6000
- Justin Rose +6500
- Ryan Gerard +6500
- Ben Griffin +6500
- Sam Burns +7000
- Jacob Bridgeman +7000
2026 THE PLAYERS Championship – Longshots
At this end of the board, expectations shift away from raw win probability and toward situational upside.
Because of this, longshots at THE PLAYERS Championship tend to be more about course fit, recent ball-striking trends, and catching the right side of the draw rather than chasing star power alone.
- Aaron Rai +8000
- Alex Noren +8000
- Harry Hall +8000
- Sahith Theegala +8000
- J.J. Spaun +8000
- Justin Thomas +10000
- Nick Taylor +10000
- Pierceson Coody +10000
- Taylor Pendrith +10000
- Nicolai Højgaard +10000
- Michael Thorbjornsen +10000
- Keegan Bradley +10000
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout +10000
- Jason Day +10000
- Corey Conners +10000
- Davis Thompson +10000
- Ricky Castillo +10000
- Rasmus Højgaard +10000
- Keith Mitchell +10000
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PGA Tour on X
Good morning from @TPCSawgrass’ par-3 17th ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/iQPAVdT3Hd
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 10, 2026
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