The 2022 PLAYERS Championship tees off Thursday morning on the famed Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. It will be the 48th edition of what is considered golf’s fifth major.
The field includes every player ranked inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings, and twenty-eight of the top 30.
With the table set, somewhat, here are a few bets to consider for what should be an exciting week of PGA Tour action in northeast Florida.
Note: Each week, we make our picks based on the odds offered by DraftKings Sportsbook. The picks we make MUST offer payouts of at least +400. (We are looking for the best return.)
The 2022 PLAYERS Championship
Top-5 Betting Favorites
Book Rank-Player (Odds)
1. Justin Thomas (10-1)
1. Jon Rahm (10-1)
3. Collin Morikawa (14-1)
4. Rory McIlroy (16-1)
5. Patrick Cantlay (20-1)
5. Scottie Scheffler (20-1)
3 Bets To Win
Outright Winner
Justin Thomas (+1000) – Over the past five PGA Tour seasons, Justin Thomas has been the circuit’s most prolific winner, hoisting 13 of his 14 career trophies over this stretch, with Dustin Johnson (12) the only other player racking up double-digit victories during this time span. Since winning the 2021 PLAYERS title last March, however, the 28-year-old Kentucky native has come up empty in the win column. With eight consecutive top-20 finishes, though, including six top-10s, the defending champ looks to be on the verge of a return to the winner’s circle.
Three other outright picks we like: Jon Rahm (+1000), Collin Morikawa (+1400), Rory McIlroy (+1600)
Top-5 Finish
Collin Morikawa (+400) – In each of his four PGA Tour starts this season, the reigning British Open champion has placed inside the top 10, including a pair of runner-up finishes. He’s also been off the charts, statistically, leading the tour in scoring average, and ranking inside the top 10 in five of the six strokes-gained categories, including putting (long considered a weakness for the ball-striking savant).
Three other top-5 picks we like: Scottie Scheffler (+450), Viktor Hovland (+450), Xander Schauffele (+550)
Top-10 Finish
Billy Horschel (+450) – Now ranked 15th in the world rankings – two spots off his career best (13th in 2014), Horschel tends to be a streaky player, which is notable, given that he’s posted four straight top-16 finishes, including a runner-up last week at a brutal Bay Hill… His best finish at Sawgrass is T13 (2015), but he’s a player to ride when he is feeling it, and the former Florida Gator enters Sawgrass in fantastic form.
Three other top-10 picks we like: Hideki Matsuyama (+250), Adam Scott (+330), Daniel Berger (+400)
Top-10 Sleeper
Keith Mitchell (+1100) – The University of Georgia product has quietly produced some excellent results of late, posting five top-12 finishes in his seven most recent starts, including back-to-back top-10s (Phoenix and The Honda)… Currently ranked No. 71 in the world, Mitchell sits 15th on the tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green and has the 19th best scoring average. While he doesn’t have a great history at the PLAYERS, the 30-year-old has never entered Sawgrass in better form.
Three other top-10 sleepers we like: Maverick McNealy (+1000), Kevin Kisner (+1400), Patrick Reed (+1600)
Full Field: Odds To Win
TPC Sawgrass | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | Mar 10-13, 2022
Joel Cook contributed to this report.
