Players Championship: Defending champion Scottie Scheffler leads list of top contenders
Players Championship week is here and predicting who will rise from a field that is the best of the best is tricky.
The easiest thing to do is go with the defending champion and for 48 years, that was a losing proposition since the defending champion had never won The Players. Think about that for a second: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino and nine other members of the World Golf Hall of Fame couldn't go back-to-back.
Then Scottie Scheffler happened.
With a final-round 64 that tied the Sunday record score for a winner, Scheffler came storming from five shots back to win at 20-under 264, the second-lowest 72-hole total by a Players champion and a tie for the second-lowest score in tournament history.
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So going with the defending champion seems like a better pick.
But this tournament does have the rest of the top players in the world (except for top-50 LIV players such as Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton) and Scheffler is still trying to find the game he had last year when he won seven times after getting off to a late start due to a hand injury.
Here's the annual attempt to handicap the top contenders, based on their Players Championship track records, performance so far in 2025 and well, the rub of a rabbit's foot.
: He missed the first month of the season after a hand injury and has played commendable golf, but hardly to the level of 2024 when he won his third Player of the Year Award. But there's no denying he loves this course: he's shot in the 60s in nine of his last 10 competitive rounds.
: The winner in 2019, the first year the tournament shifted to March and he bounced back last year with a top-20 finish after missing two of three cuts. He won at Pebble Beach and is driving the ball better than ever.
: He won 13 times in five years but hasn't won since the 2022 PGA, a year after he won the 2021 Players. Don't let the passive demeanor fool you. He's not happy with his play in the last two years and he's ready to roar with three top-10s on the Western Swing.
(Sweden): Is there a weakness in this game that anyone has spotted? Drives long and straight, hits lasers into the greens when he gets hot is a dangerous putter. All he did in his first Players Championship in 2024 was shoot three 67s and tie for ninth. He'd love to win in the backyard of his new First Coast residence.
(Austria): The University of Georgia product harkens back to another bulldog who had great success at The Players, Hal Sutton. Hits fairways and greens relentlessly and has strong mentality with the lead in his hands. After missing the cut in his first Players, he's tied for ninth and for 16th in his last two starts.
(Japan): A player from Japan has never won The Players and he will be the top candidate from that country as long as he's playing. Matsuyama shot 65 to share the Players lead in the ill-fated 2020 tournament when the rest of the week was canceled due to the pandemic and he's posted three finishes of eighth or higher in his last four starts.
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: Hard to believe he's still only 28 years old, after two major championships and nine top-10 finishes in those events. His luck hasn't been so good in The Players but he did tie for 13th in 2023.
: A major champion in waiting at the age of 27. Hovland has already won the FedEx Cup and is the first Norwegian to win on both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. He's made the cut in all three Players starts tied for ninth in 2022 and for third in 2023.
Saith Theegala: He had a stellar college career at Pepperdine and in 2020 became the fifth player to win all three major college individual awards (Haskins, Hogan and Nicklaus Awards). He's won only once on the PGA Tour, during a fall season event but he's made the cut in his last eight starts in The Players, Masters, U.S. Open and PGA and tied for ninth at the Stadium Course last year.
: The 2004 Players champion has been spending more time negotiating a PGA Tour-LIV agreement with the President than on the golf course but he's still got a ton of game at 44 years old. Scott tied for 10th in the Open Championship and for 22nd in the Masters last year and he's made 11 of his last 12 cuts at the Stadium Course.
: Proved he can still dig deep at 44 when he tied for third at Pebble Beach. He's been a bit erratic but has been showing up for the big events: he tied for second at the Open Championship and tied for sixth at the PGA last year has two top-10s at The Players since it moved back to March in 2019.
: He could be the perfect post-40 Players champion in the Fred Funk or Hal Sutton mode. He won the U.S. Open in 2009, lost his Tour card twice since then, bounced back on the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, worked through injuries and won twice at the end of the 2023 season. There isn't much adversity he hasn't faced and overcome.
: There aren't many golf fans who wouldn't want to see this guy do the Gator chomp up the 18th fairway on Sunday with a two-shot lead. He's just got to figure out a way to get to Sunday, after missing his last two cuts and withdrawing in 2022.
Ben Kohles: Don't let the lack of Tour experience hide the fact that this guy is a proven winner. He won five college events at Virginia and was a two-time ACC Player of the Year, then won four Korn Ferry Tour events. At 35 he's paid his dues and is trending upwards, with a couple of top-25s this season.
: The native of Colombia has won twice on the PGA Tour and lost to Nick Taylor in a playoff at the Sony Open this year.
Michael Kim: This guy is a workhorse, with six of eight starts this season, 30 in 2024 and 32 in 2023. He's won once on the PGA Tour but not much success in The Players, with three missed cuts in a row. He's better than that.
Cam Davis: Well, he can win in Detroit. The Australian has won two of the last four Rocket Mortgage Classics. He tied for sixth in the 2023 Players and has been playing well this season, with three top-20s on the Western Swing. And what about that shot from the tree roots at Pebble?
: He will be a Players Championship rookie and was the first to earn his spot with a victory this season. Campbell won the Mexico Open in a playoff against Alrich Potgieter so he's not afraid of pressure. Does nothing especially well but also isn't glaringly deficient in any phase of the game, which can work at the Stadium Course.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Players Championship: Defending champion Scottie Scheffler leads contenders
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U.S. Open power rankings: Every player at Oakmont ranked Nos. 1-156
Treacherous, lightning-fast greens. Deep, juicy rough. A brilliant design. There's no doubt about it: Oakmont is going to be a beast. The best players in the world will take on the Henry C. Fownes masterpiece for this week's U.S. Open. It's the 10th time Oakmont has hosted this national championship – and the first time since 2016, when Dustin Johnson took advantage of Shane Lowry's Sunday misfortune to win his first of what is now two major titles. If there's ever a course to test every club in the bag, it's Oakmont, a par-70 layout that will tip out at 7,372 yards and features poa greens, bent and poa fairways and Kentucky bluegrass rough. 'The Fownes' were good players, and they were adamant to protect that golf course,' said Gil Hanse, who led the 2023 renovation of the course. "... It is unapologetically difficult, and that is what they wanted.' The most noticeable changes from 2016 will be larger greens with more hole locations and more penal edges, some additional fairway width in spots to encourage more options, rebuilt bunkers that could see more balls end up closer to lips, and even a bigger church-pew bunker between Nos. 3 and 4 (about 15 yards). And what about the trend from the 2021 U.S. Amateur, where players were driving it into adjacent fairways for better angles? About 5 inches of rough should deter most of that, along with added length on No. 11 and a later start to the 11th fairway, which will make it tough to avoid the rough if hitting it left off No. 10. Statistically, it's hard to go wrong with total strokes gained. But diving deeper into the metrics, look for players who hit fairways (length shouldn't be a prerequisite, though if you're long and straight, you'll do well anywhere), are strong approach players, scramble well and have good speed on the greens (approach putting). Guys also always have a ton of meaningful putts, usually for par or worse, between 4-8 feet at U.S. Opens. My model also uses a fair bit of gut feelings, too. Scottie Scheffler will be the pre-championship favorite for good reason, but what about everyone else? Let's rank them all: (Currently, the 156-player field is at 150 players with Matthew Jordan replacing the injured Sahith Theegala on Friday; the additions will be made Sunday evening, likely all from the alternate list.) Nos. 1-10 1. Scottie Scheffler: Has collected three trophies in his last four starts. Leads Tour in strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained approach, proximity and bogey avoidance. He's also third in rough proximity. 2. Jon Rahm: Starting to get his major groove back – T-14 at Masters, T-8 at PGA. Should be considered among the three or four best in the world off the tee, plus arguably one of the best short games as well. 3. Bryson DeChambeau: Even with frustrating iron play of late, he's managed some great results, including a T-5 at the Masters and co-runner-up at the PGA. I could see some dialed-back version of the bomb-and-gauge style that he employed at Winged Foot working at Oakmont. 4. Keegan Bradley: Hear me out on this one! He's essentially top 20 in several important metrics, including 17th in total driving, 12th in strokes gained approach and fourth in approach putt performance. And he's riding back-to-back top-10s. 5. Si Woo Kim: Another name that popped insanely high on my model. Great at finding fairways and an elite short game. Plus, he was recently T-8 at the PGA. 6. Collin Morikawa: Second on Tour in driving accuracy with a top-10 approach game. He's built to win this championship. I just wish he had some better finishes coming into this week. 7. Sepp Straka: Another great fit for Oakmont as he's top 3 in strokes gained approach and proximity, and top 6 in rough avoidance off the tee and bogey avoidance. The MC at Quail was an anomaly, as he sandwiched that with a win at Truist and solo third at Memorial. 8. Corey Conners: He's cracked the top 25 in 10 of his last 19 major starts. Nothing better than T-6, but with his ball-striking and his surprisingly decent speed on the greens, Conners could challenge that this week. 9. Joaquin Niemann: Also T-8 at Quail, his first-ever top-10 in a major championship. That could be just what the LIV star needs to kick the door down at Oakmont. 10. Jordan Spieth: He's just outside the top 70 in strokes gained approach, but he's basically top 30 in the other key areas. He's also No. 1 in approach putting and is coming off a top-10 at the Memorial. Jun 6, 2025; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Shane Lowry reacts to his tee shot at the 3rd hole during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Nos. 11-20 11. Shane Lowry: Ranks third in strokes gained approach and proximity, and he should be able to give himself lots of looks from the fairway. He'd be ranked higher on this list if he wasn't prone to the odd blow-up here and there. And remember his final-round 76 in 2016? 12. Daniel Berger: Top 15 in total driving and proximity. Would be top 10 on this list if not for back-to-back missed cuts. 13. Rory McIlroy: Somewhat controversial leaving Rory outside the top 10, but I'm just not feeling the attitude lately. Yes, he and Scottie are far and away the best drivers of the golf ball on Tour, but remember, this is a new driver in the bag, and McIlroy also isn't hitting it particularly close with the irons this year. I'd go with the other big names before McIlroy this week. (I wrote this before his missed cut by miles in Canada, so this may be validated now.) 14. Patrick Cantlay: Top 10 in strokes gained approach and approach putting, and he's nearly top 30 off the tee. This is his major, too, as he has four straight top-15s, including a T-3 last year at Pinehurst. 15. Xander Schauffele: He's had plenty of rounds to get the stats up, and we're still seeing him ranked outside the top 120 in strokes gained off the tee. Schauffele excels on these impossible setups, so we can't drop him too far. 16. Robert MacIntyre: Top 25 in strokes gained off the tee and approach, plus he's really reliable on those 4- to 8-footers that everyone will have for par. Also just hasn't played bad in a long time. 17. Justin Thomas: Top 10 in strokes gained approach and one of the best iron players out of the rough, too. Always like JT to embrace these classic setups – he was nearly top 30 here back in 2016. I'm just concerned about the driving – outside the top 90 in strokes gained off the tee – plus he's kind of cooled off in recent starts. 18. Bud Cauley: The first final qualifier on the list. Top 10 in total strokes gained this season with the ball-striking a huge reason for that. 19. Patrick Reed: Hard to measure strokes gained toughness, but Reed is one of the best in that category. Third at the Masters before missing the PGA cut, but he's made seven straight U.S. Open cuts with four top-20s during that streak. 20. Tommy Fleetwood: Sneakily ranks sixth in total strokes gained this year. And he's finished outside the top 25 just twice in his past 22 starts. That's insane. May 24, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Chris Gotterup walks from the ninth green during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Nos. 21-30 21. Russell Henley: He's really let us down in the majors with MCs at both this year. His lack of length shouldn't be as big a deal at Oakmont, and we love that his top 12 in driving accuracy and second in proximity. 22. Harris English: Has top-12s in three of his last four starts, including a T-2 at the PGA. Also has three top-10s in his last five U.S. Open appearances. 23. J.J. Spaun: We've rolled with him in each of the year's first two majors, and he's done OK. Top 20 in total driving and fifth in strokes gained approach has him high in the model, but he gets bumped down a little until he proves it more in majors. 24. Chris Gotterup: Another qualifier. Hits it forever but struggles to find fairways, so this is risky. But he's also top 10 in bogey avoidance and he's posted five top-20s in his last seven starts. 25. Ben Griffin: He's in elite form right now, just nothing statistically jumps out to say he'll contend in a U.S. Open, especially his debut. 26. Aaron Rai: No has hit more fairways or at a higher percentage. And though he's missed two straight cuts, he's been solid in the major this year – T-27 at Masters, T-19 at PGA. 27. Tyrrell Hatton: Scrambling and finding fairways have kept Hatton right around the top 25 in recent U.S. Opens. That's probably where he ends up again. 28. Taylor Pendrith: Pendy has been hot since his T-5 at Quail. He's fifth in total driving and nearly top 30 in strokes gained approach. 29. Tony Finau: Trending similarly to last year when he was T-3 at Pinehurst. He's turned around the iron play and his short game has been a real weapon, too. Plus, we know he can send it. 30. Brooks Koepka: Just waiting for Major Brooks to return. It's been a while – no top-20s since the 2023 U.S. Open. He's just not putting well. Jun 6, 2025; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Ludvig Aberg hits his tee shot at the third hole during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Nos. 31-40 31. Carlos Ortiz: A win and a couple other top-10s in his last four LIV starts. He's kind of like LIV Spieth with a worse short game. 32. Sungjae Im: Top 8 in both driving accuracy and strokes gained around the green. The big concern is he's missed three straight U.S. Open cuts. 33. Viktor Hovland: Top 10 in strokes gained approach and nearly top 30 in total driving should have him higher, but the short game and putting speed continue to hamper him. 34. Ludvig Aberg: Was T-12 in his U.S. Open debut last year, but he's still ranked outside the top 115 in strokes gained approach. Still, top 25 in total driving and top 15 in proximity, so a top-20 isn't a terrible bet. 35. Michael Kim: He's cooled bit, and it's been because of a combination of different things. But Top 20 in strokes gained around the green and bogey avoidance, and I've always thought his game set up well for these classic U.S. Open tests. 36. Gary Woodland: He's not been better than T-49 in his last eight major starts, but top 25 in total driving and proximity. The rough won't bother him. 37. Maverick McNealy: A good bet to lead the field in strokes gained putting this week. Just needs to hit more fairways and scramble better. 38. Hideki Matsuyama: Might be the lowest I've ever ranked Hideki. A couple top-6s in his last three U.S. Open starts, and though I love his short game, he's just not striking it well right now. 39. Sam Burns: Has four top-20s in his last five starts, and he's rolling his rock right now. Different grasses at Oakmont, sure, but Burns' T-9 last year at Pinehurst was promising. I just need to see it more. 40. Nick Taylor: He's missed nine of his last 10 major cuts. Gulp. But he's top 20 in a bunch of stats – driving accuracy, strokes gained approach, bogey avoidance. Get him on a course where distance isn't necessarily king, and I like him here. May 4, 2025; McKinney, Texas, USA; Erik van Rooyen prepares to play a shot from the sixth tee during the final round of the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Nos. 41-50 41. Min Woo Lee: He's simmered since winning in Houston. But there's a lot to like if he can hit fairways. Granted, that's a big if. 42. Ryan Gerard: Ranks 20th in total strokes gained – and that's with a putter that's been frustrating over recent months. T-8 at PGA should give him some major confidence, too. 43. Erik van Rooyen: Sixth in total driving, though he must hit his irons better than he did at Quail. Three straight MCs at the U.S. Open, but he was T-23 at Winged Foot in 2020. 44. Thorbjorn Olesen: Doing everything above average right now, which explains why he's 13th in total strokes gained. His play in Canada gives me extra confidence. I'd rank him higher if his major record was better. 45. Emiliano Grillo: The iron game has really flashed of late as he's posted four top-25s in his last six starts. Could another Argentine contend at Oakmont? 46. Brian Harman: Since his T-2 at the 2017 U.S. Open, he's not missed a cut at this championship. 47. Akshay Bhatia: Top 25 in strokes gained approach and proximity, though outside the top 125 in total driving. Some of that is distance related. Also, his short game has been uncharacteristically poor of late. But he was T-16 at Pinehurst last year, and if he figures it out, has the game to win one of these someday. 48. Cameron Smith: Not the same guy who posted five top-10s, including a win, in a nine-major span a few years ago. Has missed three straight major cuts as he just doesn't drive it well enough to contend. 49. Andrew Novak: Breakout year, and he's done most of his work on the better designed courses on the Tour rota. Good short game and speed on the greens. He'll make his first major cut this week. 50. Brian Campbell: He will rank last in the field in driving distance, but not many will find more fairways and display a better short game. May 14, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Matt McCarty pitches out of the bunker on the ninth hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Nos. 51-60 Adam Scott Victor Perez Lucas Glover Matt McCarty Davis Thompson J.T. Poston Sam Stevens Denny McCarthy Tom Hoge Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen Nos. 61-70 Marc Leishman Stephan Jaeger Nico Echavarria Jordan Smith Matt Wallace Matt Fitzpatrick Laurie Canter Cameron Young Jason Day Jackson Koivun (a) Nos. 71-80 Max Greyserman Johnny Keefer Mark Hubbard Jhonattan Vegas Thomas Detry Wyndham Clark Mackenzie Hughes Rasmus Hojgaard Davis Riley Niklas Norgaard Nos. 81-90 Justin Rose Tom Kim Christiaan Bezuidenhout Jacob Bridgeman Ben James (a) Frederic LaCroix Chris Kirk Lanto Griffin Jose Luis Ballester Matthew Jordan Nos. 91-100 Byeong Hun An Alvaro Ortiz Nick Dunlap Matthieu Pavon Justin Lower Cam Davis Joe Highsmith Sam Bairstow Richard Bland Trevor Cone Nos. 101-110 Jacques Kruyswijk Edoardo Molinari Will Chandler Dustin Johnson Zac Blair Maxwell Moldovan Ryan McCormick Kevin Velo Scott Vincent Trent Phillips Nos. 111-120 Guido Migliozzi James Nicholas Preston Summerhays Adam Schenk Andrea Pavan Phil Mickelson Michael La Sasso (a) Thriston Lawrence Jackson Buchanan Zach Bauchou Nos. 121-130 Bryan Lee (a) Jinichiro Kozuma Joakim Lagergren Justin Hastings (a) Lance Simpson (a) Evan Beck (a) Matt Vogt (a) Philip Barbaree Riley Lewis Tyler Weaver (a) Nos. 131-140 Frankie Harris (a) Brady Calkins Zachery Pollo (a) Cameron Tankersley (a) Emilio Gonzalez Harrison Ott Noah Kent (a) Roberto Diaz Austen Truslow Alistair Docherty Nos. 141-156 Yuta Sugiura Chandler Blanchet Mason Howell (a) James Hahn George Duangmanee Joey Herrera George Kneiser Justin Hicks Grant Haefner Trevor Gutschewski (a)
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Although Auburn couldn't quite get over the hump to repeat as the National Champions this golf season, the Tigers best golfer, sophomore Jackson Koivun, ended his extraordinary season with a coveted piece of hardware. The two-time SEC Golfer of the Year finished in fourth place overall during the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championships, giving him more than enough points to surpass the 20 total needed to acquire a PGA Tour Card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. Advertisement The program, which is designed to award juniors who accumulate 20 points through played events during their first three years of college golf, was finished by Koivun in just two seasons. Now with immediate eligibility to play PGA Tour events, the 20-year-old could choose to end his Tigers career after just two short years if he opts to become a professional. But Koivun, who has vocally pronounced his love for the Plains in the past, recently told Golfweek he would delay defer his card until 2026, again stating "he loves Auburn" before stating how he believes college golf "is in such a good spot right now and it's going to continually prepare [him] for the PGA Tour." Koivun is now the third collegiate golfer to earn his PGA Card through the accelerated program. Alabama native and former Vanderbilt star Gordon Sargent and former Florida State golfer Luke Clanton are the only other golfers to successfully finish the program. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter@TheRealBHauch This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn star Jackson Koivun earns PGA Tour Card
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