Storylines to Watch: THE PLAYERS Championship 2022

THE PLAYERS Championship returns to TPC Sawgrass for the PGA TOUR’s flagship event and the championship the players call their own. With play set to commence tomorrow, here are the top storylines to look for as the game’s best chase one of golf’s most prestigious titles.

The Strongest Field in Golf

Year-in, year-out, THE PLAYERS Championship field is the strongest in golf. Every player in the field has earned their start at THE PLAYERS through superior play on the PGA TOUR or the world’s largest stages – no amateurs, club professionals, qualifiers, or sponsor exemptions. The 2022 field includes 48 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking; the top 30 in the 2021-22 FedExCup standings; and 123 of the 125 players who qualified for the previous season’s FedExCup Playoffs, the most of any tournament in the FedExCup era.

Elite Groupings

The strongest field in golf once again delivers elite first- and second-round groupings, with defending champion Justin Thomas being joined by 2019 PLAYERS winner Rory McIlroy and 2021 Open Champion Collin Morikawa.

Three of the top four players in the world will begin their quest for a first PLAYERS title together, with World No. 1 Jon Rahm grouped with World No. 3 Viktor Hovland and World No. 4 and reigning FedExCup Champion Patrick Cantlay.

A Record Purse

THE PLAYERS offers a $20 million purse, the most lucrative in golf history, with the winner at TPC Sawgrass receiving a $3.6 million payout. The new purse is up from $15 million in 2021, the largest such purse increase in tournament history.

40th Playing at TPC Sawgrass

The 2022 championship marks the 40th playing of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass and the Stadium Course, dating back to 1982 and Jerry Pate’s iconic dive into the pond on 18, where he took architect Pete Dye and Commissioner Deane Beman along with him. After those early days, where the game’s top players often criticized it as being too difficult, Dye returned continually to make tweaks to the layout in order to provide one of the game’s most iconic venues.

Can JT Defend?

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Justin Thomas, the 2021 PLAYERS champion, made an improbable seven-stroke comeback after 36 holes to win his first PLAYERS title. As he returns in search of his first TOUR win since last year’s victory at TPC Sawgrass, he does so with an opportunity to make history and do something no PLAYERS champion before him has accomplished: defend his title. The three closest calls? Jack Nicklaus (1977), Tom Kite (1990) and Hal Sutton (2001) all finished T5 the year after their Players victory.

Set to make his first start since The Genesis Invitational, Thomas is coming off two consecutive top-10 results, with a T8 at the WM Phoenix Open being followed up by a solo sixth at Riviera.

First-Time Success at Sawgrass

While Thomas chases down a successful title defense, a group of PLAYERS first-timers will look to add their name to the short list of those who solved TPC Sawgrass in their first try. It’s been 20 years since a championship rookie won THE PLAYERS, with New Zealand’s Craig Perks turning in one of the most incredible three-hole finishes in championship history. The Kiwi chipped in for eagle at the par-5 16th, holed a downhill 28-footer for birdie on the par-3 17th and chipped in from behind the par-4 18th to secure a two-stroke victory.

In 1983, Hal Sutton also accomplished the feat in the championship’s second playing at TPC Sawgrass, overcoming an opening-round 1-over 73 with three under-par scores to win by one over Bob Eastwood. With new TOUR winners among the list of players set to make their debut like Lucas Herbert and Garrick Higgo, as well as others seemingly on the brink of victory like Sahith Theegala, we’ll soon find out who has the mettle to tame TPC Sawgrass and walk away as a PLAYERS champion.

PGA TOUR Enhanced Coverage of THE PLAYERS

In 2022, THE PLAYERS Championship is excited to feature more live coverage across ESPN+, Golf Channel and NBC than any year prior, while the PGA TOUR’s Digital apps, websites and social platforms offer fans a record amount of content showcasing innovative ways to watch the best golfers in the world. PGA TOUR Enhanced Coverage will debut in the U.S. with a similar look as Every Shot Live, but with an adjusted schedule throughout the week.

How and Where to Watch

Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11:

PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN +: 6:45 a.m.- 6 p.m. (Main Feed, Marquee Group, Featured Groups, Featured Holes)

GOLF Channel: 12 – 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13

PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN +: 7:45 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Main Feed, Marquee Group, Featured Groups, Featured Holes)

NBC: 1-6 p.m.