It's a Players ball beginning Thursday.
The 2023 Players Championship, golf's unofficial "fifth major," is back this week, with the biggest tournament purse on the 2023 PGA Tour calendar.
But this year's tourney won't feature last year's winner, Cameron Smith, who made the jump to LIV Golf after winning the Open Championship last July. Smith capped his 2022 TPC with a Monday win, holding off Anirban Lahiri by a stroke.
LIVE: Follow Players Championship updates and scores
Also not partaking in this year's Players Championship is Dustin Johnson, who also bolted for LIV. He tied a course record with a 63 in his last try at TPC Sawgrass.
This year, it's anyone's tournament. Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy entered as the favorites, with McIlroy aiming to join a short list of multiple-time winners at the event. Rahm has finished in the top 10 just once, in 2021. He finished tied for 55th last year. (UPDATE: He withdrew from the tournament Friday because of illness.)
Someone will have to play a big game to earn the big check. Here's how to watch this year's Players Championship, with tee times and more:
MORE: Watch the Players Championship live with fuboTV (free trial)
Watch the 2023 Players Championship live
- Dates: March 9-12
- TV channels: Golf Channel, NBC
Golf Channel and NBC will be the television homes of the 2023 Players Championship. Golf Channel will broadcast the first two rounds, while NBC will complete the coverage on Saturday and Sunday.
| Date | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 10 | Noon-6 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| Friday, March 11 | Noon-6 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| Saturday, March 12 | 1-6 p.m. | NBC |
| Sunday, March 13 | 1-6 p.m. | NBC |
Players Championship 2023 live streams
- Live streams: ESPN+, fuboTV
For those who want to live stream The Players, there are a few different options.
ESPN+ will broadcast select featured groups, a marquee group and featured holes throughout the weekend. For those who want to watch the main televised action, fuboTV carries NBC and Golf Channel, so you won't miss a minute over the four days. The streaming service also offers a free trial.
Players Championship tee times 2023
- Round 4 (Sunday, March 12)
| Time (ET) | Tee | Pairing |
|---|---|---|
| 7:40 a.m. | 1 | Sahith Theegala |
| 7:44 a.m. | 1 | Sepp Straka, Adam Scott |
| 7:53 a.m. | 1 | Patton Kizzire, Aaron Baddeley |
| 8:02 a.m. | 1 | Kevin Kisner, Will Zalatoris |
| 8:11 a.m. | 1 | Justin Thomas, Tom Kim |
| 8:20 a.m. | 1 | Scott Stallings, Ben Martin |
| 8:29 a.m. | 1 | Joel Dahmen, Matthias Schwab |
| 8:38 a.m. | 1 | Eric Cole, Chesson Hadley |
| 8:47 a.m. | 1 | Alex Smalley, Jerry Kelly |
| 8:56 a.m. | 1 | Maverick McNealy, Stephan Jaeger |
| 9:11 a.m. | 1 | Shane Lowry, Keith Mitchell |
| 9:20 a.m. | 1 | Austin Smotherman, Brendon Todd |
| 9:29 a.m. | 1 | Sam Ryder, Sam Burns |
| 9:38 a.m. | 1 | Brian Harman, Xander Schauffele |
| 9:47 a.m. | 1 | Lucas Glover, Danny Willett |
| 9:56 a.m. | 1 | Nate Lashley, Will Gordon |
| 10:05 a.m. | 1 | Mark Hubbard, Gary Woodland |
| 10:15 a.m. | 1 | Taylor Pendrith, Russell Henley |
| 10:25 a.m. | 1 | Kramer Hickok, Tyler Duncan |
| 10:35 a.m. | 1 | Cameron Young, Ryan Fox |
| 10:50 a.m. | 1 | Francesco Molinari, Davis Thompson |
| 11 a.m. | 1 | Tony Finau, Byeong Hun An |
| 11:10 a.m. | 1 | Brandon Wu, Wyndham Clark |
| 11:20 a.m. | 1 | Garrick Higgo, Hideki Matsuyama |
| 11:30 a.m. | 1 | Tyrrell Hatton, Max Homa |
| 11:40 a.m. | 1 | Ben Griffin, Si Woo Kim |
| 11:50 a.m. | 1 | Collin Morikawa, Adam Svensson |
| Noon | 1 | Jason Day, Viktor Hovland |
| 12:10 p.m. | 1 | Taylor Moore, Justin Suh |
| 12:20 p.m. | 1 | Dylan Wu, Adam Hadwin |
| 12:35 p.m. | 1 | Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay |
| 12:45 p.m. | 1 | Denny McCarthy, Jordan Spieth |
| 12:55 p.m. | 1 | Taylor Montgomery, Justin Rose |
| 1:05 p.m. | 1 | David Lingmerth, Tom Hoge |
| 1:15 p.m. | 1 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Sungjae Im |
| 1:25 p.m. | 1 | Aaron Rai, Chad Ramey |
| 1:35 p.m. | 1 | Cam Davis, Tommy Fleetwood |
| 1:45 p.m. | 1 | Scottie Scheffler, Min Woo Lee |
Players Championship purse 2023
The Players Championship, colloquially known as the unofficial fifth major, boasts the biggest prize pool of the season, with a $25 million purse.
The winner takes home a $4.5 million check, the biggest check on the PGA Tour.
Players Championship odds, picks for 2023
According to BetMGM, Jon Rahm is a slight favorite over Rory McIlroy to take home the 2023 Players Championship title.
Here's how the top 10 stack up:
- Jon Rahm +800
- Rory McIlroy +900
- Scottie Scheffler +1100
- Justin Thomas +1800
- Patrick Cantlay +1800
- Max Homa +2000
- Xander Schauffele +2200
- Collin Morikawa +2500
- Tony Finau +2500
- Viktor Hovland +2500
MORE: Players Championship 2023: PGA expert betting predictions
Where is the Players Championship 2023?
- Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
- Venue: TPC Sawgrass
The 2023 Players Championship marks the 42nd time the tournament will be played at TPC Sawgrass. The course is a par-72 with a total distance of 7,245 yards.
The course record is a 63, last shot by Dustin Johnson in Round 4 of the 2022 event.
Players Championship recent past winners
Cameron Smith, who won the 2022 Players Championship, will not participate in the 2023 event after leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf last summer.
| Year | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | -13 |
| 2021 | Justin Thomas | -14 |
| 2019 | Rory McIlroy | -16 |
| 2018 | Webb Simpson | -18 |
| 2017 | Si Woo Kim | -10 |
| 2016 | Jason Day | -15 |
| 2015 | Rickie Fowler | -12 |
| 2014 | Martin Kaymer | -13 |
| 2013 | Tiger Woods | -13 |
| 2012 | Matt Kuchar | -13 |
| 2011 | K.J. Choi | -13 |
| 2010 | Tim Clark | -16 |