Like the Masters, the Players Championship is the only major that’s played on the same course—the infamous TPC at Sawgrass—every year. And though it has bounced around in terms of when it is played, the tournament is back in March, the perfect lead up to the Masters in less than a month.

Key storyline

Clearly Scottie Scheffler is in a slump heading into the Players. After all, he’s not won in three official starts. How is it even possible? Of course, Scheffler isn’t in a slump—he has two Top 10 finishes in three starts heading into Bay Hill. Last year he did something never done before—won back-to-back at Sawgrass. That’s right—in 50 years even Tiger Woods hadn’t won the Players consecutively, and Scheffler became one of only seven to claim victory more than once at the tournament. That’s a bit surprising considering coming into 2023, Scheffler had no played well at the event. But given that his ballstriking is at elite levels, he has to be a favourite heading into the week.

Matching the Golden Bear

Only one golfer—Jack Nicklaus—has won the Players three times, a number Scheffler will try to match this year. That year, Nicklaus won $50,000; the winner this year will take home $4.5 million. Scheffler alone has won more than $9 million at the tournament. Now that’s inflation!

51 years

This is the 51st time the Players has been contested, and over that stretch there have been 42 winners, and 39 aces, including 14 at the famed island green of the 17th hole.

No Tiger

There have been reports that Tiger Woods is walking 18 and playing well—but that doesn’t mean he’ll be at the Players. After skipping the Genesis, a tournament he hosts, because of the death of his mother, Tiger is also passing on the Players in the last year he’s fully exempt. Will we ever see him back at the Players? It is hard to imagine the PGA Tour not giving him an exemption if he feels he can play. For that matter, will we see him at Augusta for the Masters? Likely. But can a rusty, banged-up version of Woods actually be competitive?

Canucks a plenty

There are a lot of Canadians in the field this week: Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith, Ben Silverman, Adam Svennson, and Nick Taylor. Almost 20 years ago, Stephen Ames became the first Canadian to win the tournament. Canadians haven’t fared particularly well in the years since—Hadwin has the last Top 10, and has played the best of the group in recent tournaments, though it is hard to imagine how a ballstriker of the quality of Conners wouldn’t be in the mix.