For much of its 50-plus-year history, The Players Championship has billed itself as having 'the best field in golf', and it could be argued that 2025 is no different with 48 of the world's top-50 players - according to the Official World Golf Ranking - set to tee it up at TPC Sawgrass.
As well as the best eligible pros from the top half-century, the field this week consists of recent Major champions, past Players winners and pros who found a way of claiming a PGA Tour title over the past 12 months.
Their competition consists of pro golfers who sat inside the FedEx Cup's top-125 last term plus the current top-10, with a handful of other qualification categories ensuring no one deserving of a tee time misses out.
However, there are still a handful of men who will not take their place at The Players Championship in 2025 despite earning a spot. The most notable name is undoubtedly Tiger Woods.
The 49-year-old was always unlikely to compete as a result of his mother Kultida passing away during early February. Woods was due to play at the Genesis Invitational shortly after but pulled out because he was "not ready" to compete so soon after the shock news.
The 15-time Major champion later revealed that his "heart was not really into practicing" at the time, throwing doubt over his chances of appearing at TPC Sawgrass in the final year of an exemption which was earned as a result of winning The Masters in 2019.
Woods' omission was then confirmed when the full field was released a week prior to The Players, days before it was revealed he had undergone surgery on a ruptured left Achilles. Now, not only will Woods not contend at The Players, the Californian may end up missing the remainder of the 2025 season.
Woods had twice won The Players (2001 and 2013) and had appeared in every edition - bar 2008 - since making his debut in 1997 until 2013. However, he had only played the event three times between 2015 and 2019 and has not featured since.
Another high-profile name who is missing the 2025 Players Championship is Ernie Els. 'The Big Easy' has won four Majors among 79 professional victories to date, seven of which have been on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
It is via that route which Els booked his spot at TPC Sawgrass, having claimed the Senior Players Championship in 2024 - a.k.a. the Kaulig Companies Championship.
But, according to Golfweek, the South African chose not to compete "due to some outside obligations with his golf design business as well as a commercial shoot with one of his sponsors."
Of the other three pros forced to miss out this year, two are due to injury. Alex Noren has been battling a neck injury since the start of the season and has not recovered in time to play, while Lee Hodges sustained a rib injury in February and hasn't been seen since the WM Phoenix Open. He was replaced in the field by Bud Cauley
Brendon Todd is the fifth and final pro to have withdrawn pre-event, but no official reason has been provided for his absence.
Eligible PGA Tour Golfers Not In The Players Field 2025
- Tiger Woods
- Ernie Els
- Alex Noren
- Brendon Todd
- Lee Hodges
Players Championship alternates who just missed out...
- Danny Walker
- Danny Willett
- Ricky Castillo
- Paul Peterson
- Quade Cummins
- Vincent Norrman
- Zach Johnson
- Taylor Montgomery
- John Pak
- Webb Simpson
Can LIV Golfers Play In The Players Championship?
Like any other PGA Tour events, there is no place for current LIV golfers at The Players Championship, or pros who have competed on the PIF-backed circuit at any point within the last year.
That means former champions including Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer all miss out - as do other big names such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
However, Laurie Canter will become the first former LIV player to compete at The Players because his last LIV tournament was February 2024 and his ban from the PGA Tour has now expired.
Is Tiger Woods In The 2025 Players Championship?
Tiger Woods will not compete at The Players Championship in 2025 as a result of his mother's recent passing and surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Woods mother Kultida died in February and it has understandably affected the 49-year-old's preparation. He withdrew from the Genesis Invitational later in February and admitted his heart was not in practicing just yet.
Days after the final Players field was announced, it was revealed that Woods had undergone surgery on his left Achilles after rupturing the tendon while practicing at home. The two-time Players champion last competed on the PGA Tour at the 2024 Open Championship.
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