TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course. Check.
Best field in golf. Check.
Back to a date ahead of The Masters. Check.

When it comes to the PLAYERS Championship, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In this instance, the PLAYERS has returned to its place earlier in the PGA schedule, after the experiment of moving it to May for the past 12 years fell a bit flat. But regardless of where it fits into the schedule, it still is played on one of the most intriguing courses in golf—TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course, with its devilish 17^th hole and the famed island green.

Who’s got the best shot this year at Sawgrass? There are plenty of contenders.

Rickie Fowler

Fowler looks like he could go out and win basically any week this year, and he does have a victory at The PLAYERS. There’s really no flat in Fowler’s game at the moment, and you have to wonder whether this will be the year he breaks through with a major. If that’s the case, why not start a stellar year with another win at Sawgrass?

Tiger Woods

A winner in the past at Sawgrass, the only question is whether Woods is healthy enough to compete. He recently took time off to deal with a nagging neck injury, and the question is whether that will be healed enough for him to make the drive up the coast from his home in Jupiter. Could he skip this week? Let’s see if he shows up on the first tee.

Dustin Johnson

He’s never played great at The PLAYERS, but every year the World’s No. 1 golfer seems to get slightly better at Sawgrass. A consummate ball striker, Johnson should be able to harness his length where he needs it at the course, and pull it back in others places, allowing him to attack greens in a way few others can. Expect him to be a factor.

The Canadians

Corey Conners

Off to a hot start even with conditional status, the young Canadian has proven he’s one of the best ball strikers in the business. The question is whether his putter will help him convert enough of those great approaches. If he can, the Listowel, Ont. native can compete anywhere–and that includes Sawgrass.

Adam Hadwin

Currently 26^th on the FedExCup standings thanks to a runner-up finish earlier this year, Hadwin, from Abbotsford, BC, has made the last three cuts at The PLAYERS, but really hasn’t put together the kind of finish one might hope for on the Stadium Course. A solid ball striker who is accurate off the tee and backs it up with a wicked short game, Hadwin could be an unexpected darkhorse pick.