The PGA Tour kicks into high gear this week with the playing of The Players Championship, widely regarded as the “fifth major” of the annual golf season.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is riding some serious momentum into this week’s event after winning last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational by five strokes over Wyndham Clark to solidify his standing as the top golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings. It was Scheffler’s first win of the 2024 season and his third top-five finish in six events. It should be noted, though, that there’s never been a back-to-back champion at TPC Sawgrass since the event’s inception in 1974. But if anyone can do it, it’s Scheffler, who is the obvious favourite this week.
Scottie Scheffler to win The Players Championship
+550
The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is known for its signature island green on the par-3, 17th hole. The surrounding water hazard has claimed many balls and ruined several dreams of claiming a title throughout the years. It’s easily one of the most recognizable holes in all of golf and one of the most intimidating for players off the tee.
Let’s take a look at the odds for some of the Canadians in the field and target a few players to back this week.
Canadians in the field
Corey Conners (+6000): Conners has the shortest odds of any Canadian in the field and he’s coming off his best result of the season (T18) at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Conners missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass last year, though he did finish seventh at the event in 2021.
Adam Hadwin (+9000): Hadwin finished T52 last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he does have a pair of top-10 finishes this season. He’s also historically played well at Sawgrass, finishing T29, T9, and T13 in his past three starts.
Nick Taylor (+11000): Taylor is off to a blistering start this year, picking up a win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and a T7 at the Sony Open. He finished T12 at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational but missed the cut last year at TPC Sawgrass.
Adam Svensson (+17500): It’s been a forgettable start to the 2024 season for Svensson, who has missed the cut in four of his eight events. He did, however, finish T13 at The Players last year.
Taylor Pendrith (+20000): It’s been boom-or-bust for Pendrith this season. He’s got a pair of top-10 finishes on the docket, but he’s also missed the cut three times through five events.
Mackenzie Hughes (+35000): Hughes hasn’t posted a result better than T25 in six events this season. He also missed the cut at this event last year.
Ben Silverman (+40000): Silverman is playing some decent golf this year, posting a trio of top-20 finishes in six events. He’s coming off a T42 performance at the Puerto Rico Open.
Adam Hadwin to finish as top Canadian
+375
Outright odds
| Golfer | Outright Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +550 |
| Rory McIlroy | +1200 |
| Justin Thomas | +1800 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2200 |
| Viktor Hovland | +2200 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +2200 |
| Max Homa | +2200 |
| Will Zalatoris | +2500 |
| Jordan Spieth | +2500 |
| Collin Morikawa | +2800 |
| Ludvig Aberg | +3000 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +3000 |
| Wyndham Clark | +3500 |
| Shane Lowry | +3500 |
| Sam Burns | +4000 |
All odds courtesy of 
Three golfers to back
Max Homa (+2200): Homa is coming off a T8 finish at the Arnold Palmer and he’s played some consistent golf through six events, posting four top-20 finishes. Additionally, he’s getting better each year at Sawgrass. After missing the cut in 2021, he finished 13th in 2022 and sixth last year. This could be the week he breaks through with a signature win after an impressive 2023 season that featured two wins on Tour.
Si Woo Kim (+4500): Kim won this event in 2017 and he’s in good form this year, making the cut in each of the seven events he’s played, with this best finish coming at the Phoenix Open (T12). He finished 27th in his most recent appearance at The Players Championship, and he also has another top 10 to go along with his victory in 2017. Kim ranks 16th in driving accuracy (67.79%) and 17th in greens in regulation 72.95% on Tour this year, and those high baseline stats should help him deliver another solid performance this week.
Erik van Rooyen (+11000): The South African is our deep sleeper pick this week. He finished second at the Cognizant Classic a couple of weeks ago and T8 the week before that at the Mexico Open. He’s coming off a T25 finish at the Arnold Palmer, and he played extremely well at Sawgrass in his first try last year, finishing T13. He’s been a model of consistency this season, claiming six top-25 finishes in eight events. If you’re looking for a more modest bet, you can grab van Rooyen at +140 to finish in the top 40, or +375 in the top 20.
