PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Whether or not you imagine within the idea of The Gamers Championship as a significant or not, one of many PGA Tour’s largest weeks is right here, and tales abound.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler are each wanting so as to add a 3rd Gamers title to their resumes. Brooks Koepka is enjoying for the Gamers for the primary time since 2022. As many different gamers compete for career-defining wins, the golf course will make much more of an influence than it has lately.
Listed below are 5 tales to observe at TPC Sawgrass this week.
1. Is Scotty your absolute favourite this week?
Paul’s declare: The numbers say sure, they usually most likely ought to, however anybody who has watched Scheffler golf over the previous three tournaments is aware of issues aren’t that easy. Scheffler has struggled Thursday in all three tournaments and appeared extra pissed off than ever along with his play, together with throwing the ball into the water after lacking a putt at Bay Hill final week.
The truth that a T-24 end is taken into account dangerous for Scheffler speaks to the necessity to understand how excessive his ground is, and this week ought to be no exception. Whereas Scheffler downplays his struggles on the microphone and wears them on the golf course, the truth is that this week is tailor-made for him — he is already gained the occasion twice, and TPC Sawgrass calls for nice iron play. Therein lies the pitfall.
Scheffler’s iron play nowadays has not been the same old, ordinary, and worldly stuff. Actually, Scheffler is 88th in strokes gained: strategy to this point this season after main the PGA Tour for 3 consecutive seasons. It is exhausting to imagine that can final for a participant of his caliber, however this may very well be an awesome week for him to begin turning right into a power to be reckoned with once more.
Mark Schlabach: With McIlroy probably sidelined with a hip harm, Scheffler is the clear favourite.
Scheffler grew to become the primary golfer to win back-to-back Gamers Championship titles in 2023 and 2024, becoming a member of Jack Nicklaus as the one three-time champions in historical past. (McIlroy, who was No. 1 in 2019 and 2025, may additionally accomplish this if he performs.)
As Paolo identified, Scheffler has seemed half-human in latest weeks. A sluggish begin bothered him in 2026. The typical rating for the final three rounds of this season (67.0) is almost 3.5 strokes higher than the primary spherical (70.4). He nonetheless does not appear to have a solution as to why he is been sluggish out of the gate.
However getting off to a quick begin at TPC Sawgrass hasn’t been an issue for Scheffler, who’s 13 underneath by way of his first three holes in his profession.
Two-time main champion Collin Morikawa is energetic and enjoying with confidence, and reigning Tour Championship winner Tommy Fleetwood continues to be in good type.
But when Rory is not there, I will be spending time with Scheffler once more.
2. Apart from Rory and Scotty, who’re the opposite gamers to observe most this week?
Object: It could be outdated information by now, however Brooks Koepka’s expertise continues to be fascinating, particularly this week. This would be the first time Koepka will tee up on tour with the world’s prime gamers. And because the PGA Tour seems to show The Gamers right into a extra main occasion, it is going to be fascinating to see how Koepka rises to that problem, as he normally does with greater occasions.
This course does not match him like a glove. He has by no means completed within the prime 10 in seven begins and missed the minimize in his final look within the match in 2022. After which there’s the play on the well-known par-3 seventeenth gap. Throughout 20 rounds at TPC Sawgrass, Koepka completed 20 over par on holes.
“That seventeenth gap has fascinated me for years,” Koepka stated. “I had an excellent spherical right here. That is all the time the one nagging factor that bothers me.”
After struggling in his first two matches again on the PGA Tour, Koepka confirmed some flashes of his outdated self when he shot a 6-under 65 within the last spherical of PGA Nationwide a couple of weeks in the past. However this week will present a greater gauge of whether or not his sport is at its finest on tour.
Schlabach: Two-time main champion Xander Schauffele was exhibiting indicators of returning to his former championship type earlier than sinking to a tie for twenty fourth place at 2 underneath by way of the ultimate 36 holes of final week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Schauffele, who has recovered from the rib pressure that derailed his 2025 season, had robust finishes, tying for nineteenth on the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am and tying for seventh on the Genesis Invitational.
Schauffele made his first begin in 2018 and was a two-time runner-up at The Gamers in 2024. His quick sport on the Stadium Course has been distinctive, tied for second in strokes gained across the greens (0.66) since 2018.
Will we see the identical Schauffele who dominated the game alongside Schaeffler in 2024?
3. Sleeper of the week?
Object: What about one other previous winner? Rickie Fowler gained this occasion over a decade in the past and has skilled many ups and downs since then, however his sport appears to be on the upswing to this point this season.
Fowler has began 5 video games, however his worst end was T-28 at Riviera. He had 4 top-20 finishes and a top-nine end at Bay Hill final week. Ranked seventeenth in strokes gained to this point this season, Fowler is enjoying his finest golf lately, excluding his sport across the greens (157th). So much has modified since successful at TPC Sawgrass in 2015, however this week may very well be one of the best week ever for him to place his expertise to make use of.
Schlabach: It is unclear whether or not the previous Gamers Championship winner and world No. 28 golfer qualifies as a sleeper, however Siu Kim has a powerful observe document at TPC Sawgrass and is hitting the ball higher than anybody this season.
The Korean golfer has already performed seven occasions this season, ending inside the highest 15 in 5 of them. He was runner-up on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open at Torrey Pines and tied for third on the WM Phoenix Open.
Coming into this week, Kim is second on tour in strokes gained on strategy (1.198) and tee-to-green (1.947). In 2026, he has already achieved 23 rounds underneath par.
Kim, who gained the 2017 Gamers Championship at age 21, is aware of his means across the Stadium Course.
Jake Knapp, ranked No. 42 on the earth, was enjoying properly final week earlier than lacking API as a consequence of sickness. He completed within the prime 11 in every of his first 5 begins, together with a lone sixth place on the Genesis Invitational.
There’s not a lot Knapp hasn’t carried out properly to this point in 2026. He ranks second in strokes gained, complete (2.183) and fourth in placing (1.095). He additionally ranks seventh in driving distance (319.4 yards), however his tee shot accuracy (58.6%) may be a problem at occasions.
4. What do you suppose the course can be like this week?
Object: After strolling round TPC Sawgrass for a couple of days, it is clear that the tour is working exhausting to make this course a little bit tougher than it has been lately. The tough is thicker, and Justin Rose admitted that his caddy advised him it was half an inch longer, however to this point the greens appear to have a little bit extra bounce.
I watched Windham Clark hit the twelfth inexperienced with a sand wedge on Tuesday, and watch the ball bounce about waist-high earlier than returning to the floor. On Monday, Adam Schenk hit two pitches into the correct tough on No. 18, however had hassle discovering the ball among the many moguls. Chipping across the greens has grow to be tougher, and the colour across the water appears to have chipped away a bit.
In the event you’re ready to make use of the time period “main championship take a look at,” it seems like this 12 months’s Sawgrass can be harder than ordinary. Rain is within the forecast for Thursday, nevertheless it does not appear to be it will be sufficient to essentially change the state of affairs.
5. What’s your prediction for the winner?
Object: Give me Ludwig Oberg. Final week’s finishes at Bay Hill (T-3) and T-20 at Riviera have been promising, and he appears to have discovered his groove after a tricky begin to the season on the West Coast.
The course has firmer greens and longer than ordinary tough, which may make for harder play, and gamers like Aberg who hit it actually excessive and straight are primed to do properly. If his putter can get sizzling (it has been the worst a part of his sport to this point this season), count on him to be in rivalry on Sunday.
Schlabach: When doubtful, I will go together with the golfer who has been essentially the most dominant for many of the previous three seasons. Granted, Scheffler’s ball-striking hasn’t been as much as historic requirements, however he’ll probably have a couple of weeks off every so often.
Scheffler will be a part of the Golden Bears on Sunday as the one three-time winner in Gamers Championship historical past and can full a profession Grand Slam on the U.S. Open at Sinek Hills Golf Membership in June.
