Punter Wins $3m With Incredible Scottie Scheffler Players Championship Bet

The bettor staked $300,000 on the American winning the tournament at TPC Sawgrass

Scottie Scheffler with the trophy after winning the 2023 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass
Scottie Scheffler's Players Championship win earned $3m for one punter
(Image credit: Getty Images)

There were some huge financial winners in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, not least Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, whose stunning back nine during the final round was enough to earn an extra $2.5m as he joined four others claiming over $1m in the tournament.

It wasn’t just players who benefitted financially from the designated event, though. One punter took a chance on Scottie Scheffler winning the tournament by staking $300,000 at odds of 10/1 at FanDuel Sportsbook, and was rewarded for putting his faith in the American to the tune of $3m.

See more

Of course, it’s hard to write off Scheffler in any tournament he starts. After all, his victory was his second since the turn of the year and it saw him return to the World No.1 position just weeks after relinquishing the top spot to Jon Rahm.

However, considering the impressive amount of talent in the field, placing that amount on anyone would have taken some conviction. Making the bet even more risky was Scheffler's previously uninspiring record in the tournament, where he finished with a missed cut in 2021 and a tie for 55th last year.

That faith was eventually rewarded in style, but not without a few concerns before Scheffler hit his stride. The Masters champion got off to a decent enough start with nine straight pars to open the first round and five birdies on the back nine. However, he finished four behind first-round leader Chad Ramey, which surely would have left the bettor’s nerves on edge going into the second day.

Any doubts would have soon been tempered by a solid second round of 69 that saw Scheffler sit just two shots behind Adam Svensson, and he took control on Saturday with a seven-under 65 to claim a two-shot lead going into the final round. 

In truth, Scheffler never really looked like relinquishing his hold on the trophy, and eventually he cantered to a five-shot win to earn $4.5m and, presumably, a new number one fan after simultaneously handing $3m to the mystery punter.

Mike Hall
Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 


He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 


Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 


Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.