The world of golf takes another turn this week as The Players Championship begins in Florida, with 144 of the best players in the world going toe-to-toe to be crowned champion.
The tournament is often regarded as the fifth major of the year, and is seen as one of the most prestigious tournaments in the calendar, giving players a chance to enter the history books by claiming victory on an iconic course.
We'll take a look at the favorites to win the competition and provide you with our best free golf betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you watch the action.
| Players' Championship 2024 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +550 | +600 | +550 |
| Rory McIlroy | +1200 | +1200 | +1100 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2200 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +2200 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Viktor Hovland | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Justin Thomas | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
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2024 Players Championship information
- Thursday, March 14th - Sunday, March 17th 2024
- TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
- Par 72
- 144 players
- $4.5m prize for winner
2024 Players Championship favorites
Below you'll find a list of the favorites to win the 2024 Players' Championship.
Scottie Scheffler - (+600)
Scheffler won the 2023 Players Championship in dominant fashion, but that breakthrough at TPC Sawgrass came after he missed the cut in 2021 and finished tied-55th in 2022 after the 2020 edition of the event was canceled due to Covid.
That makes it difficult to consider that he is the favorite to come out on top once again, although he is in fantastic form as the world number one.
Scheffler dominated the field over the weekend en route to a five-stroke victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, amid major-like conditions at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Most importantly, Scheffler has also adapted his game with new clubs to address his putting weaknesses over the last 12 months, which has seen him performances improve greatly.
The World No. 1 gained 1.09 strokes per round in the greens at Bay Hill and seems properly set to defend his 2023 title at TPC Sawgrass. It's very rare to get repeat champions in these events, but Scheffler is the clear favorite to get the win once again.
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Rory McIlroy - (+1200)
The 34-year-old world number 2 missed the cut last year for the third time in his last five appearances at the Players Championship, having won in 2019 with a -16 score and finishing top-12 four straight years from 2012-2016.
McIlroy has accrued a host of big tournament wins throughout his career, including 24 PGA Tour victories which is part of his 38 total professional wins. In 2023 he won the Genesis Scottish Open with a one-stroke victory and like Scheffler, he participated in the 2023 Ryder Cup as part of the European team, but had much better results than his American counterpart.
Having won the 2022 PGA Tour FedEx Cup (he also won in 2016 and 2019), McIlroy is certainly the most decorated golfer on this list and is still competitive in every tournament he enters.
With success certainly not out of the question, getting double the odds on him to get the win seems too high to ignore.
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Xander Schauffele - (+2200)
Schauffele won the 2020 gold medal at the men’s individual golf event of the 2020 Summer Olympics. In addition to his Olympic prowess, the American has won seven times on the PGA Tour since turning professional in 2015.
His best finishes include being tied for second at the 2018 Open Championship and also the 2019 Masters, but as of late he won three competitions in 2022. This includes the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the Travelers Championship, and finally the Genesis Scottish Open later that year.
Schauffele has made a fantastic start to 2024 also. In his first five starts he was tied 10th at The Sentry, tied third at the American Express, tied ninth at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied fourth at the Genesis. In 19 rounds he had 16 scores of 70 or better.
The American is one of the best players on the tour to have never won a major, and this could be his best chance to find success on a world stage. At +2200, there is fantastic value in backing him to do just that.
Patrick Cantlay - (+2200)
The No. 6 player in the world finished T19 last year for his best finish in six starts in the Players Championship. The 31-year-old missed the cut in his three appearances prior to last year, but he is improving every time he hits the course.
He is a golfer who continues to divide opinion. Some are driven bonkers by his pace of play and lack of interaction with the galleries, but there is no doubting that the way he swings a club is magnificent and he has fantastic potential to keep improving.
At 31 it's time for him to start kicking on at these big tournaments, and the way he is playing in 2024 gives him a great chance of succeeding.
Viktor Hovland - (+2200)
Another player who is one of the most exciting young stars on the PGA Tour, Hovland won the 2018 U.S. Amateur, catapulting him to number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2019.
Since then, he became the first Norwegian to win on the PGA Tour (2020) and on the European Tour (2021). He has since won five times on the Tour, including the 2023 Tour Championship, resulting in his first FedEx Cup.
Getting such a big win so early in his career is unlikely but he is a fearless competitor and if he plays to his best, he could be in and around the conversation should the top players have an off-day.
