Odds Outlook: Defending champion Scottie Scheffler sets bar at THE PLAYERS Championship

Pacing the field for the 50th PLAYERS Championship, unsurprisingly, is Scottie Scheffler (+550 at BetMGM Sportsbook). The No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking ascended to the top of the FedExCup standings last week after posting his second victory in three years Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Picking up his seventh victory on TOUR since the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, the red-hot Texan continues to set the standard as he led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, SG: Off-the-Tee and SG: Around-the-Green. Another ominous sign for the field this week is that he also led the field in SG: Putting on Sunday, blowing away the field by five shots. The reigning champion at TPC Sawgrass, he is the first defender ranked both No. 1 in the OWGR and No. 1 in the current FedExCup. No player has successfully won the title in back-to-back seasons.

Rory McIlroy (+1400) is the second option by some margin on the board this week. Since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, only Scheffler has more victories on TOUR. The 2019 champion was the first to lift the trophy in March since Stephen Ames in 2006. Representing one of 23 countries entered this week, the Ulsterman is still looking for his first top 10 on U.S. soil since the 2023 BMW Championship. He enters off a T21 finish at Bay Hill, where he fell off the pace with a final-round 76.

Making his seventh start of the season, Xander Schauffele (+2000) will look to hit the top 10 for the fifth time. Coming off T25 last week at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, the Californian has had an interesting ride at TPC Sawgrass. Debuting T2 in 2018, the final edition played in May, he was four shots adrift of champion Webb Simpson (+25000). Missing the cut in his next three starts, he rallied with 69-68 last year to cash T19. The last time he was in the winner’s circle was twice in the summer of 2022.

Justin Thomas (+2200) is no stranger to winning events in Florida or winning at TPC Sawgrass. The 2021 PLAYERS winner has 15 trophies on his shelf and has been on a heater since last September. Cashing T12 or better in eight of his last nine events worldwide, he’s played his way into the OWGR top 30. The only missing piece is a trip to the winner’s circle. The 2022 PGA Championship winner is looking to break his extended drought in another one of the biggest events on TOUR.

After a three-win season, including the last two events of the FedExCup Playoffs, Viktor Hovland (+2200) has been looking to rekindle his summertime magic. TPC Sawgrass might be the perfect tonic. Looking for his first top 10 of 2024, the world No. 4 will be excited to see a happy hunting ground. Posting 17-under across his last two visits, highlighted by T3 last year, he ran his streak of consecutive rounds under par to five in a row and seven of his previous eight. Lingering T10 after 36 holes last week at Bay Hill, he showed signs of life before fading in the blustery breezes of the weekend to T36.

The return to health, a reworked swing, and the long putter have Will Zalatoris (+2200) right back into this space. After easing his way into the early days of 2024, the former Wake Forest star has ramped up the reps with the results to match. Facing some of the most difficult tracks on TOUR in his last three starts, he’s responded with T13 at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South), T2 at The Riviera Country Club, and led by two with 23 holes to go before cashing T4 at Bay Hill. Nobody hit more fairways last week, and he was second in Scrambling. Never missing the cut at TPC Sawgrass from three March visits, he’s peaking at the right time.

Patrick Cantlay (+2500) broke an incredible streak last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Opening with 74 at Bay Hill, the Californian signed for his first round ABOVE 66 this season from six tries. Confoundingly, he has turned those fantastic starts into exactly one top-10 payday. On familiar grass at Riviera, his 64-65 opening 36 holes resulted in T4 after 70-72 on the weekend. In five Sunday rounds this year, he’s posted 72 or worse four times. Posting T19 last year, he made the cut for the first time in four March events. I’m scratching my head as well.

Here's a look at other notable odds to consider via BetMGM, including The Genesis Invitational champ Hideki Matsuyama looking to add another early-season trophy:

• +2800: Hideki Matsuyama, Max Homa
• +3300: Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Åberg, Sam Burns, Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark
• +4500: Cameron Young, Jason Day (2016 winner), Russell Henley
• +5000: Min Woo Lee, Sahith Theegala, Sungjae Im, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau
• +5500: Byeong Hun An, Corey Conners
• +6000: Matt Fitzpatrick, Tom Kim
• +6600: Brian Harman, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott, Keith Mitchell, Si Woo Kim (2017 winner), Tom Hoge
• +8000: Eric Cole, Harris English
• +9000: Adam Hadwin, Alex Noren, Cam Davis, Chris Kirk, Emiliano Grillo, Rickie Fowler (2015 winner)
• +10000: Beau Hossler, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Doug Ghim, Erik van Rooyen, J.T. Poston, Jake Knapp

How the THE PLAYERS Championship works:

• A field of 144 players will be cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes.

• Purse of $25 million, with the winner taking home $4.5 million, plus 750 FedExCup points. Winner receives a three-year exemption into the majors and a five-year exemption on TOUR.

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