PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — With the climate lastly warming up on the East Coast, the PGA Tour heads to its flagship occasion, The Gamers, on the Pete Dye Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
There’s quite a lot of debate about whether or not The Gamers ought to be thought of the game’s fifth main event, however there’s positively loads at stake within the 123-man area that begins Thursday.
The Gamers have a $25 million purse and the winner will obtain $4.5 million and 750 FedEx Cup factors.
Rory McIlroy turned the defending champion final 12 months after defeating J.J. Spawn in a Monday playoff.
All eyes will likely be on what’s going to occur off the course this week. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolup will deal with the media on Wednesday and is predicted to unveil a few of his imaginative and prescient for the tour’s future.
The highest contenders for profitable The Gamers are as follows:
The world’s No. 1 golfer earned his twentieth PGA Tour victory in his first begin of the season on January twenty second at American Categorical. He’ll search to grow to be the second Gamers to win three straight titles after Jack Nicklaus (1974, ’76 and ’78) after profitable back-to-back titles for the primary time in 2023 and ’24. The four-time main champion has gained 4 straight opening video games beneath 70. Perhaps he is simply giving the remainder of the sphere an opportunity?
The defending Gamers Championship winner tied for second on the Genesis Invitational and seemed to be constructing momentum for future defenses at each TPC Sawgrass and Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership. However then he was pressured to withdraw from Saturday’s Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier than the third spherical as a result of decrease again spasms. McIlroy mentioned he felt the ache within the gymnasium and his signs worsened whereas hitting balls on the follow vary. His well being will likely be an enormous storyline this week. McIlroy might additionally be a part of the Golden Bear as the one different participant to win the title 3 times.
After profitable his first PGA Tour victory ultimately season’s Tour Championship, Fleetwood picked up the place he left off by tying for fourth on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am and tied for seventh on the Genesis Invitational. His final top-10 end at TPC Sawgrass was a solo fifth place in 2019.
Rib ache derailed Schauffele’s 2025 season, however he confirmed indicators of life within the two-time main championship match, as he tied for seventh at Genesis. He has been inaccurate off the tee to date this season. Schauffele is a two-time runner-up at The Gamers in 2018 and 2024.
The 2-time main champion gained at Pebble Seaside on February 22, his first win on tour since October 2023. The change to a mallet putter — Morikawa mentioned he “stole” the putter from his good buddy Kurt Kitayama — lastly helped him get again into the winner’s circle. On the 2025 Gamers Championship, he tied for tenth at 7 beneath par, his finest end result at TPC Sawgrass.
Knapp acquired off to a powerful begin this season — ending no worse than eleventh in any of his first 5 begins — till he was pressured to withdraw as a result of sickness earlier than the opener in opposition to Arnold Palmer. Heading into that event at Bay Hill, Knapp ranked third in strokes gained (2.183 whole), fourth in placing (1.095) and eighth in driving distance (319.4 yards). He tied for twelfth on the 2025 Gamers Championship, marking his second look within the occasion.
Even earlier than Bhatia picked up his third PGA Tour win at Bay Hill, he appeared like he was headed for potential stardom. After lacking back-to-back cuts within the season opener, Bhatia’s type over the previous month has been unbelievable. He has three top-10 finishes in his previous 4 begins, together with a tie for third at Phoenix. He tied for third at 10 beneath ultimately season’s Gamers Championship in simply his second begin at TPC Sawgrass.
Attributable to private causes, Straka was sidelined for a while till the tip of the 2025 season, however he has been taking part in effectively recently. He completed second at Pebble Seaside and tied for thirteenth at Bay Hill. Plus, TPC Sawgrass appears to be a great slot in his eyes. He has completed sixteenth or increased in three of his final 4 begins with the Gamers.
The Scottish golfer tied for fourth on the Sony Open in Hawaii and tied for twentieth on the Genesis Invitational, and had some moments throughout his West Coast swing. His iron play wasn’t excellent. He was 141st in strokes gained on approaches (-.575) heading into Bay Hill. Nonetheless, McIntyre has continued to make glorious placing, and he made nice strides ultimately season’s Gamers, ending tied for ninth place at 8 beneath.
The 45-year-old continues to play the perfect golf of his profession. He earned his thirteenth PGA Tour victory with a seven-stroke loss on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open on January twenty ninth. His iron play was nice. The British golfer has missed the minimize in three of his previous 5 begins at TPC Sawgrass, however has additionally completed within the prime 10 twice.
Bridgeman made his breakthrough on the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Nation Membership close to Los Angeles, holding off McIlroy and Kitayama for his first tour victory. The 26-year-old former Clemson star has made probably the most begins this season and completed within the prime 25 six occasions. He led the tour in strokes gained: putts (1.276) heading into Bay Hill final week. This will likely be his second begin for The Gamers.
Simply when it appeared like Gotterup’s sizzling begin, which noticed him win the Sony Open in Hawaii and the WM Phoenix Open, was calming down, he was again close to the highest of the leaderboard at Bay Hill. Gottarup is likely one of the finest golfers on tour off the tee, rating fifth in driving distance (322 yards) to Arnold Palmer. He missed his first begin with the Gamers in 2025.
Oberg missed the American Categorical as a result of sickness in his first begin of the season, resulting in a shaky begin to 2026. He turned issues round by tying for twentieth on the Genesis Invitational and tying for third at Bay Hill. His outcomes have not been nice to date, however he completed solo in eighth place at 5 beneath in his first begin at The Gamers in 2024. This week he may have a house course benefit by transferring nearer to the stadium course.
Matsuyama has cooled down a bit after the new early a part of the season. He by no means completed worse than eleventh in his first 4 begins, together with a playoff loss to Gotterup on the primary gap of the playoff in Phoenix. Matsuyama has been good at TPC Sawgrass, ending within the prime 25 seven occasions in 11 begins. He completed tied for sixth in 2024 and solo fifth in 2023, however missed out on qualifying final 12 months.
Lowry was most likely nonetheless feeling the ache from his late collapse on the Cognizant Traditional — he had a three-shot lead with three holes to go, however misplaced by two to Nico Echavarria — and from final week’s failure to qualify at Arnold Palmer. The Irish golfer has carried out effectively in 2026, significantly with irons and putters, with 4 top-20 finishes in his previous 5 appearances at The Gamers.
Kim, the 2017 Gamers Championship winner, is off to a terrific begin this season. He completed within the prime 13 5 occasions, together with a tie for second on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open and a tie for third on the WM Phoenix Open. His final tour victory got here on the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii.
The 2022 US Open champion is again to being among the finest ball strikers on this planet. Coming into Arnold Palmer, he ranked fourth in strokes gained on method (1.120) and fifth in strokes gained from tee to inexperienced (1.731). He missed three of his final 5 begins with the Gamers, however completed within the prime 10 within the different two.
In response to Golfweek, Hovland moved from swing coach Grant Waite to former coach TJ Eaton this season, and it did not take lengthy for him to make an enormous change. Hovland additionally used an older Ping driver at Bay Hill. Hovland was clearly pissed off by lacking two main occasions, the Pebble Seaside Professional-Am and the Genesis Invitational. Though he did not qualify for TPC Sawgrass final 12 months, he tied for third in 2023 and tied for ninth in 2022.
Connors is off to an honest begin this season, together with his finest end being a tie for twenty fourth on the Sony Open in Hawaii. Nonetheless, the Canadian golfer is likely one of the finest iron gamers on this planet and might flip issues round. He has completed thirteenth or higher in three of his previous 5 begins at TPC Sawgrass.
Younger lastly gained on the PGA Tour on the Wyndham Championship in August, after which went on to grow to be one of many U.S. group’s best-performing gamers on the Ryder Cup. He has back-to-back prime 10 finishes on the Genesis Invitational and Arnold Palmer, and issues appear to be getting higher. TPC Sawgrass has baffled him to date. He has not had a top-50 end in 4 begins.
There appear to be two near-certainties for TPC Sawgrass. One is that there will likely be quite a lot of balls hit into the water on the seventeenth on the island inexperienced, and that Hoge will likely be someplace on the leaderboard. Though he has fallen to ninety fifth place within the Official World Golf Rating, Gamers is prone to carry out the perfect in Hoge. He shot a tournament-record 10-under 62 within the third spherical and tied for third in 2023. Hoge tied for third final 12 months as effectively, simply two strokes out of the playoffs.
The reigning US Open champion has been off to a gradual begin this season, lacking the minimize 3 times in 5 begins. Within the different two matches, he didn’t end increased than tied for fortieth place. Spawn has the flexibility to show issues round at TPC Sawgrass, the place he misplaced to McIlroy in a three-hole combination playoff that ended Monday on the 2025 Gamers Championship.
It was one other comeback for Fowler, who performed effectively in two FedEx Cup playoffs on the finish of 2025. He has completed within the prime 20 4 occasions this season and by no means completed decrease than twenty eighth. It tied for ninth place in API. He hits the irons effectively and ranks within the prime 25 in Strokes Gained: Placing (.701). Fowler has solely completed within the prime 45 at The Gamers as soon as since profitable the playoffs in 2015.
English’s outcomes this season have been as constant as his video games, with him by no means ending outdoors the highest 28 in any of his first six video games. The Gamers have been a nightmare for Englishmen for the previous two years. He did not qualify for seven consecutive tournaments, however tied for nineteenth in 2024 and tied for thirtieth final 12 months.
Henry, ranked No. 7 on this planet, carried out effectively on the West Coast, tying for nineteenth at Pebble Seaside and tied for eighth at American Categorical. Henry’s efficiency at TPC Sawgrass additionally obtained blended opinions. He began the primary 13 video games and had seven missed cuts. His finest end was a tie for thirteenth in 2022.
