7 Big Names Missing The Players Championship Plus Top-Ranked Golfers Not In TPC Sawgrass Field

It's a huge week in the sport with The Players Championship taking place at the iconic TPC Sawgrass.

The PGA Tour's flagship event is undoubtedly the most prestigious non-Major event in the men's professional game, and it boasts a stacked field as always for the 2026 staging.

In truth, there really aren't too many big names missing from the field this week with 19 of the world's top 20 playing and 46 of the top 50. Some high-profile LIV Golfers are not eligible due to being suspended, while some multiple PGA Tour winners haven't qualified after either losing form or struggling with injuries.

So, here are some of the top names missing The Players as well as a look at the alternates list and those who have not qualified from the world's top 150:

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods teased that he'll be playing in The Masters when he confirmed with a smile that an Augusta return is not off the table.

The legendary 15-time Major winner is back hitting full shots after his seventh back surgery in October, but he will not be playing at TPC Sawgrass this week.

He isn't actually qualified for the tournament, so even if he is fully fit he isn't able to get a tee time anyway.

Woods won here in 2001 and 2013 but hasn't competed in The Players since 2019 and he's actually only played it three times since he won 13 years ago.

Patrick Reed

Patrick Reed has been lighting it up on the DP World Tour since leaving LIV Golf, and the Texan is the highest-ranked player in the world not in the field this week.

Reed sits 20th in the Official World Golf Ranking after wins in Dubai and Qatar, and he'll be back next year for the first time since 2022 after all-but securing his PGA Tour card for 2027 already.

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen is the highest-ranked PGA Tour member not in the field this week, with only the top-ranked DPWT player from 2025 - Marco Penge - qualifying.

The Dane, who won the Australian Open in December, sits 63rd in the world but has not been able to make his way into The Players Championship.

Neergaard-Petersen earned his tour card via the DP World Tour top 10 last year and has played four times on the US circuit so far in 2026, with a best finish of T40 at the Cognizant Classic.

Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel misses The Players Championship for the first time since 2012 after finishing 102nd in last year's FedEx Cup standings - two below the position needed.

The Floridian has had a couple of sponsor's invitations into Signature Events this year but finds himself 84th in the world and without a top-10 since his T4 at last year's Valspar Championship.

Will Zalatoris

Three-time Major runner-up Will Zalatoris misses this event for the first time since 2019 as he continues his journey back to the top after having a second back surgery.

The American has played twice this year and withdrew from the Cognizant Classic with a left-ankle injury, so it looks like the unfortunate stop-start theme of recent years is continuing.

The former World No.7 currently ranks 279th in the OWGR.

Tom Kim

Tom Kim misses The Players for the first time since joining the PGA Tour in 2022.

The World No.124 hasn't missed a cut since The Open but he hasn't had a top-10 anywhere since the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February 2025.

The Korean, who won twice on the PGA Tour before the age of 21, is in a surprising mini-slump compared to his high standards, and he hasn't made the field this week due to his 108th finish in the FedEx Fall rankings.

Matt Kuchar

Matt Kuchar has not qualified for The Players for the first time since 2007.

The nine-time PGA Tour winner won here in 2012, and 14 years later he is still playing a full schedule at the age of 47.

Kuchar finds himself 147th in the world and hasn't made the field following his 118th-place finish in the FedEx Fall rankings.

The Players Championship alternates

• David Ford
• John Parry
• Dan Brown
• Tom Kim
• Adrien Dumont de Chassart
• Pontus Nyholm
• David Lipsky
• Billy Horschel
• Will Zalatoris
• Kensei Hirata
• Kris Ventura
• Dylan Wu
• Beau Hossler

The Players Championship Top-ranked golfers not in the field

(OWGR)

• Tyrrell Hatton (26)
• Jon Rahm (36)
• Bryson DeChambeau (41)
• Thomas Detry (61)
• Jayden Schaper (57)
• Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (63)
• Casey Jarvis (69)
• Daniel Brown (77)
• Billy Horschel (82)
• John Parry (83)
• Matt Wallace (97)
• Angel Ayora (103)
• Chandler Blanchet (105)
• Ian Holt (108)
• Andy Sullivan (112)
• Shaun Norris (116)
• Nacho Elvira (117)
• Keita Nakajima (118)
• Byeong-hun An (119)
• Tom Kim (124)
• Dan Bradbury (125)
• Calum Hill (129)
• Kazumi Higa (130)
• Jacob Skov Olesen (131)
• Neal Shipley (134)
• Joakim Lagergren (135)
• Martin Couvra (136)
• Peter Uihlein (137)
• JC Ritchie (142)
• Eugenio Chacarra (143)
• Julien Guerrier (144)
• Matt Kuchar (147)
• David Lipsky (150)