The Players Championship is one of the most eagerly anticipated tournaments on the PGA Tour calendar, and is regarded by many as the unofficial fifth Major.
Not surprisingly, it has also been awarded designated status this year, adding even more importance to a tournament that already stood a level above many other events in the eyes of players and fans alike.
As well as a record purse of $25m, the tournament also features an outstanding field with many of the world’s best players competing at the world-famous TPC Sawgrass.
One player who will not be in the field is the defending champion. That’s because the 2022 winner was Cameron Smith, who has since signed for LIV Golf. In fact, it is for the same reason that the two players who finished behind the Australian last year, Anirban Lahiri and Paul Casey, also miss out.
Despite their absences, there is still an embarrassment of riches in the field, including Kurt Kitayama, who claimed an enthralling Arnold Palmer Invitational victory last week, and a host of former Players champions.
World No.3 Rory McIlroy finished tied for second at Bay Hill, but that represented a marked improvement on his previous PGA Tour outings in 2023, and he will be confident of replicating his 2019 victory, when he edged out Jim Furyk by one shot.
Following cancellation in 2020 due to Covid-19, the tournament returned in 2021, and Justin Thomas took the honours. The World No.9’s best finish of 2023 so far came with fourth in last month’s WM Phoenix Open, and he’ll be another with high expectations this week.
After the first round in last week’s tournament, it appeared to be business as usual for World No.1 Jon Rahm, whose 65 gave him the overnight lead. That was as good as it got for the Spaniard, though, and eventually he finished outside the top 10 for the first time in 10 starts worldwide with a disappointing tie for 39th. Despite the underwhelming result, few would bet against him claiming his fourth win since the turn of the year this week.
It is now just a month until World No.2 Scottie Scheffler defends his Masters title, and he will be confident of building on strong performances in recent weeks, which included winning at TPC Scottsdale and a tie for fourth last week, as the Augusta National Major approaches.
Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Will Zalatoris and Collin Morikawa complete the list of players in the world’s top 10. Sitting just outside that elite group, Viktor Hovland will be hoping to build on a tie for 10th last week, while US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick also appears.
Other former winners in the field include 2018 champion Webb Simpson, Si Woo Kim, who triumphed the year before, and 2016 victor Jason Day. Rickie Fowler, who won in 2015, has shown encouraging signs of recovering some of his best form in recent months, and he also plays, along with 2012 winner Matt Kuchar.
Below is the complete field for the 2023 Players Championship.
The Players Championship Field 2023
- Alexander, Tyson
- An, Byeong Hun
- Armour, Ryan
- Baddeley, Aaron
- Barnes, Erik
- Bezuidenhout, Christiaan
- Bradley, Keegan
- Bramlett, Joseph
- Brehm, Ryan
- Buckley, Hayden
- Burns, Sam
- Cantlay, Patrick
- Cink, Stewart
- Clark, Wyndham
- Cole, Eric
- Conners, Corey
- Dahmen, Joel
- Davis, Cam
- Day, Jason
- Detry, Thomas
- Duncan, Tyler
- Endycott, Harrison
- English, Harris
- Finau, Tony
- Fitzpatrick, Matt
- Fleetwood, Tommy
- Fowler, Rickie
- Fox, Ryan
- Frittelli, Dylan
- Ghim, Doug
- Glover, Lucas
- Gordon, Will
- Griffin, Ben
- Griffin, Lanto
- Grillo, Emiliano
- Hadley, Chesson
- Hadwin, Adam
- Hahn, James
- Hardy, Nick
- Harman, Brian
- Hatton, Tyrrell
- Henley, Russell
- Herbert, Lucas
- Hickok, Kramer
- Higgo, Garrick
- Hodges, Lee
- Hoge, Tom
- Homa, Max
- Horschel, Billy
- Hossler, Beau
- Hovland, Viktor
- Hubbard, Mark
- Hughes, Mackenzie
- Im, Sungjae
- Jaeger, Stephan
- Kelly, Jerry
- Kim, S.H.
- Kim, Si Woo
- Kim, Tom
- Kirk, Chris
- Kisner, Kevin
- Kitayama, Kurt
- Kizzire, Patton
- Knox, Russell
- Kraft, Kelly
- Kuchar, Matt
- Laird, Martin
- Lashley, Nate
- Lee, K.H.
- Lee, Min Woo
- Lingmerth, David
- Lipsky, David
- List, Luke
- Long, Adam
- Lower, Justin
- Lowry, Shane
- Malnati, Peter
- Martin, Ben
- Matsuyama, Hideki
- McCarthy, Denny
- McGreevy, Max
- McIlroy, Rory
- McNealy, Maverick
- Merritt, Troy
- Mitchell, Keith
- Molinari, Francesco
- Montgomery, Taylor
- Moore, Taylor
- Morikawa, Collin
- Mullinax, Trey
- NeSmith, Matthew
- Noren, Alex
- Novak, Andrew
- Palmer, Ryan
- Pendrith, Taylor
- Piercy, Scott
- Poston, J.T.
- Power, Seamus
- Putnam, Andrew
- Rahm, Jon
- Rai, Aaron
- Ramey, Chad
- Reavie, Chez
- Redman, Doc
- Riley, Davis
- Rodgers, Patrick
- Rose, Justin
- Ryder, Sam
- Schauffele, Xander
- Scheffler, Scottie
- Schenk, Adam
- Schwab, Matthias
- Scott, Adam
- Shelton, Robby
- Sigg, Greyson
- Simpson, Webb
- Smalley, Alex
- Smotherman, Austin
- Spaun, J.J.
- Spieth, Jordan
- Stallings, Scott
- Straka, Sepp
- Streb, Robert
- Streelman, Kevin
- Suh, Justin
- Svensson, Adam
- Tarren, Callum
- Taylor, Nick
- Theegala, Sahith
- Thomas, Justin
- Thompson, Davis
- Thompson, Michael
- Todd, Brendon
- Tway, Kevin
- Vegas, Jhonattan
- Wallace, Matt
- Watney, Nick
- Willett, Danny
- Wise, Aaron
- Woodland, Gary
- Wu, Brandon
- Wu, Dylan
- Young, Cameron
- Zalatoris, Will
Who Is Performing At The Players Championship 2023?
Many of the world's best players are in the field for the tournament, including nine of the world's top 10. Justin Thomas, who won in 2021, is the most recent winner in the field. Meanwhile, other former champions including World No.3 Rory McIlroy, who won in 2019, and 2018 winner Webb Simpson also play. Last year's victor, Cameron Smith, can't defend his trophy as he is now with LIV Golf.
Is Tiger Woods Playing In The Players Championship 2023?
Tiger Woods is not listed in the field for the 2023 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The 15-time Major winner's most recent appearance came in last month's Genesis Invitational. However, he has admitted his PGA Tour appearances will be limited given injury concerns, and is thought to be targeting next month's Masters for his second start of 2023.
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