It’s not quite a major, but the Players Championship is as close as it gets. The biggest tournament of the season thus far tees off Thursday as the top players in the world take on the famed TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Below, we look at the 2022 Players Championship odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions to win.
From World No. 1 Jon Rahm to Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy to Jordan Spieth, it’s a star-studded affair at Sawgrass this week as most of the top players compete in what’s considered the fifth major. The most notable player missing is Bryson DeChambeau, who’s still recovering from wrist and hip injuries.
Rahm is the top player in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings after the Arnold Palmer Invitational, won by Scottie Scheffler who ranks fourth.
The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is a par 72 that plays at 7,256 yards. It typically yields winning scores in the range of 10- to 15-under. Justin Thomas won last year at 14-under, one shot clear of Lee Westwood. Sawgrass isn’t necessarily as difficult as Bay Hill, which gave the field all sorts of trouble last weekend, but if rainy and windy conditions roll through, it’ll be a real challenge.
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2022 Players Championship picks – Favorite
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Collin Morikawa (+1500)
Morikawa made his Players debut last year, finishing tied for 41st at 2-under par. It was an unspectacular showing, but he’s in even better form now than he was this time last year. In five starts this season, Morikawa hasn’t finished worse than T-7. He tied for 2nd his last time out at The Genesis Invitational and tied for 5th at both the Hero World Challenge and Sentry Tournament of Champions.
What’s really kept Morikawa hot this season is his putter. He’s been known to struggle on the greens, but this season, he’s 4th in Strokes Gained: putting.
Also like: Daniel Berger (+3000), Brooks Koepka (+4000)
2022 Players Championship picks – Contender
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Sergio Garcia (+7000)
According to GolfStats.com, Garcia has made 21 starts at the Players Championship and missed the cut only twice. He’s notched seven top-10s, most recently tying for 9th last year after an opening-round 65 on Thursday to hold a two-shot lead.
Though his T-38 at Bay Hill last week is nothing to write home about, he’s in relatively solid form with four straight top-40 finishes, including a tie for 7th at Mayakoba. With his track record as a past champion, he’s a great value at +7000.
Also like: Paul Casey (+7000), Jason Day (+8000)
2022 Players Championship picks – Long shot
Brian Harman (+10000)
In his last two starts at the Players, Harman tied for 3rd in 2021 and tied for 8th in 2019 (it was canceled in 2020). Pair that with his recent form this season and you’ve got a worthwhile long shot. Harman tied for 14th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and tied for 3rd at The American Express. He has three top-10s this season and only missed three cuts in 10 events.
Also like: Keegan Bradley (+10000)
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Golfweek:
- How to watch, stream and listen to the 2022 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass
- 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational prize money payouts for each PGA Tour player at Bay Hill
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