The Players Championship: What time does it start, how to watch in UK, tee-times, odds and more
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The world’s best golfers descend on TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players’ Championship as Rory McIlroy defends his 2019 title.
The event, often heralded as the greatest tournament outside of the four majors, was abandoned in dramatic fashion after the first round last year when the true scale of the pandemic came into perspective. Several players had become agitated over safety concerns and a text arrived from the PGA Tour late on Thursday evening that no more golf would be played for the foreseeable future.
A year later, with the PGA Tour back in full swing, although still without anything close to a full crowd of spectators, the competition signals the gearing up of the 2021 golf season, with The Masters now not far on the horizon. There have already been some fireworks this year, though, and memorably so last week when Bryson DeChambeau held off England’s Lee Westwood to claim his eighth PGA Tour title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
DeChambeau, whose gunslinging drives across the water at the par-5 sixth at Bay Hill represented another chapter in his big-hitting legacy, is not the favourite heading to Sawgrass, though. Instead, it is world No 1 Dustin Johnson who arrives as a heavy favourite, despite the Masters champion finishing some 23 shots back of Collin Morikawa in his last appearance at the WGC-Mexico in February.
McIlroy endured another final round to forget at Bay Hill, having been in contention before carding a miserable 76. It seems something of an inescapable trend for the Northern Irishman, although there are plenty of other European players in contention this week, with Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick all in action.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of The Players:
When is it?
The Players Championship begins on Thursday 11 March at TPC Sawgrass.
How can I watch it?
The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports’ dedicated golf channel as well as Main Event.
Thursday - 11.30-23.00
Friday -11.30-23.00
Saturday - 13.30-23.00
Sunday - 13.30-22.00
What are the odds?
- Dustin Johnson 13/1
- Jon Rahm 17/1
- Rory McIlroy 19/1
- Bryson Dechambeau 20/1
- Collin Morikawa 21/1
- Justin Thomas 22/1
- Patrick Cantlay 22/1
- Xander Schauffele 25/1
- Webb Simpson 30/1
- Tony Finau 35/1
- Viktor Hovland 35/1
- Hideki Matsuyama 40/1
- Tyrell Hatton 40/1
- Jordan Spieth 45/1
- Daniel Berger 47/1
- Patrick Reed 50/1,
- Tommy Fleetwood 55/1
- Sungjae Im 55/1
- Scottie Scheffler 60/1
- Jason Day 66/1
- Matthew Fitzpatrick 66/1
- Paul Casey 66/1
- Cameron Smith 66/1
Odds provided by Betfair Exchange
First round tee times
(All time local time, USA unless stated)
Starting at Hole 1:
06:45 Xinjun Zhang (Chn), Alexander Noren (Swe), Doug Ghim
06:56 Lee Westwood (Eng), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
07:07 Phil Mickelson, Charles Howell III, Tony Finau
07:18 Henrik Stenson (Swe), Kevin Kisner, Sung Jae Im (Kor)
07:29 Keith Mitchell, Troy Merritt, Brice Garnett
07:40 Michael Thompson, Sebastian Munoz (Col), Brian Gay
07:51 Cameron Smith (Aus), Dylan Frittelli (Rsa), Keegan Bradley
08:02 Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Kevin Na, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng)
08:13 J. T. Poston, Russell Knox (Sco), Max Homa
08:24 Nick Taylor (Can), Austin Cook, Stewart Cink
08:35 Henrik Norlander (Swe), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Byeong-Hun An (Kor)
08:46 Vaughn Taylor, Jerry Kelly, Joel Dahmen
08:57 Sam Ryder, Scott Brown
12:05 Cameron Tringale, Matthew NeSmith, Denny McCarthy
12:16 Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Cameron Percy (Aus), Brian Harman
12:27 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Martin Laird (Sco), Tyler Duncan
12:38 Aaron Wise, Richy Werenski, Kevin Streelman
12:49 Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm (Spa)
13:00 Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau
13:11 Adam Scott (Aus), Shane Lowry (Irl), Daniel Berger
13:22 Brendan Steele, Andrew Landry, Cameron Champ
13:33 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Jason Kokrak, Jason Day (Aus)
13:44 Rory Sabbatini (Svk), Charley Hoffman, Cameron Davis (Aus)
13:55 Will Zalatoris, Maverick McNealy, Matt Jones (Aus)
14:06 Luke List, Chris Kirk, Bo Hoag
14:17 Brian Stuard, Danny Lee (Nzl), Beau Hossler
Starting at Hole 10:
06:45 Kyle Stanley, Tyler McCumber, Lucas Glover
06:56 Scottie Scheffler, Tom Hoge, Russell Henley
07:07 Chengtsung Pan (Tai), Graeme McDowell (NIrl), Matt Kuchar
07:18 Gary Woodland, Ian Poulter (Eng), Billy Horschel
07:29 Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland (Nor), Patrick Cantlay
07:40 Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Sergio Garcia (Spa)
07:51 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Si Woo Kim (Kor), Harris English
08:02 Xander Schauffele, Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Paul Casey (Eng)
08:13 Lanto Griffin, Rickie Fowler, Corey Conners (Can)
08:24 Brendon Todd, Andrew Putnam, Adam Long
08:35 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Doc Redman, Harry Higgs
08:46 Victor Perez (Fra), Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns
08:57 Scott Stallings, Adam Schenk
12:05 Peter Malnati, Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Abraham Ancer (Mex)
12:16 Robby Shelton, Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor), Anirban Lahiri (Ind)
12:27 Jimmy Walker, Sung-Hoon Kang (Kor), Branden Grace (Rsa)
12:38 Hudson Swafford, Brandt Snedeker, Scott Piercy
12:49 Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Jim Herman, Ryan Armour
13:00 Ryan Palmer, Nate Lashley, Zach Johnson
13:11 Robert Streb, Justin Rose (Eng), Marc Leishman (Aus)
13:22 Bubba Watson, Chez Reavie, Pat Perez
13:33 Danny Willett (Eng), Patton Kizzire, Jason Dufner
13:44 Harold Varner III, James Hahn, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
13:55 Patrick Rodgers, Mark Hubbard, Adam Hadwin (Can)
14:06 Sepp Straka (Aut), Ryan Moore, Scott Harrington
14:17 Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Tom Lewis (Eng), Talor Gooch
Second round tee times
Starting at Hole 1:
06:45 Abraham Ancer (Mex), Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Peter Malnati
06:56 Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor), Robby Shelton
07:07 Branden Grace (Rsa), Sung-Hoon Kang (Kor), Jimmy Walker
07:18 Scott Piercy, Brandt Snedeker, Hudson Swafford
07:29 Ryan Armour, Jim Herman, Mackenzie Hughes (Can)
07:40 Zach Johnson, Nate Lashley, Ryan Palmer
07:51 Marc Leishman (Aus), Justin Rose (Eng), Robert Streb
08:02 Pat Perez, Chez Reavie, Bubba Watson
08:13 Jason Dufner, Patton Kizzire, Danny Willett (Eng)
08:24 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), James Hahn, Harold Varner III
08:35 Adam Hadwin (Can), Mark Hubbard, Patrick Rodgers
08:46 Scott Harrington, Ryan Moore, Sepp Straka (Aut)
08:57 Talor Gooch, Tom Lewis (Eng), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)
12:05 Lucas Glover, Tyler McCumber, Kyle Stanley
12:16 Russell Henley, Tom Hoge, Scottie Scheffler
12:27 Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell (NIrl), Chengtsung Pan (Tai)
12:38 Billy Horschel, Ian Poulter (Eng), Gary Woodland
12:49 Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland (Nor), Justin Thomas
13:00 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Webb Simpson
13:11 Harris English, Si Woo Kim (Kor), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
13:22 Paul Casey (Eng), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Xander Schauffele
13:33 Corey Conners (Can), Rickie Fowler, Lanto Griffin
13:44 Adam Long, Andrew Putnam, Brendon Todd
13:55 Harry Higgs, Doc Redman, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)
14:06 Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, Victor Perez (Fra)
14:17 Adam Schenk, Scott Stallings
Starting at Hole 10:
06:45 Denny McCarthy, Matthew NeSmith, Cameron Tringale
06:56 Brian Harman, Cameron Percy (Aus), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut)
07:07 Tyler Duncan, Martin Laird (Sco), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)
07:18 Kevin Streelman, Richy Werenski, Aaron Wise
07:29 Jon Rahm (Spa), Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth
07:40 Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa
07:51 Daniel Berger, Shane Lowry (Irl), Adam Scott (Aus)
08:02 Cameron Champ, Andrew Landry, Brendan Steele
08:13 Jason Day (Aus), Jason Kokrak, Francesco Molinari (Ita)
08:24 Cameron Davis (Aus), Charley Hoffman, Rory Sabbatini (Svk)
08:35 Matt Jones (Aus), Maverick McNealy, Will Zalatoris
08:46 Bo Hoag, Chris Kirk, Luke List
08:57 Beau Hossler, Danny Lee (Nzl), Brian Stuard
12:05 Doug Ghim, Alexander Noren (Swe), Xinjun Zhang (Chn)
12:16 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Lee Westwood (Eng)
12:27 Tony Finau, Charles Howell III, Phil Mickelson
12:38 Sung Jae Im (Kor), Kevin Kisner, Henrik Stenson (Swe)
12:49 Brice Garnett, Troy Merritt, Keith Mitchell
13:00 Brian Gay, Sebastian Munoz (Col), Michael Thompson
13:11 Keegan Bradley, Dylan Frittelli (Rsa), Cameron Smith (Aus)
13:22 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Kevin Na, Carlos Ortiz (Mex)
13:33 Max Homa, Russell Knox (Sco), J. T. Poston
13:44 Stewart Cink, Austin Cook, Nick Taylor (Can)
13:55 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Henrik Norlander (Swe)
14:06 Joel Dahmen, Jerry Kelly, Vaughn Taylor
14:17 Scott Brown, Sam Ryder
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