The Players Championship 2026 LIVE: Dates, tee times, field, prize money and how to follow TPC Sawgrass blockbuster

Rory McIlroy will do battle with Scottie Scheffler at the $25million Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass this March.

The world’s top two golf stars have won the last three Players titles and will both be eyeing glory again at the famous course.

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McIlroy scooped the $4.5m winner’s cheque last season, beating JJ Spaun in a three-hole play-off after a stunning display in the final round.

Before that, Scheffler won back-to-back, blasting the field away in 2023 before shooting a Sunday 64 to race up the leaderboard and win a year later.

The Players is the unofficial fifth major of the season and signals the true start of the golfing season ahead of The Masters in April.

The Players 2025: Date and how to follow

The 2026 Players will run from Thursday, March 12 to Sunday, March 15.

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is a par 72 and will measure 7,352 yards in length.

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The event will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK too. 

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The Players 2026: Field and tee times 

The field for this event will be made up of 144 players before the cut on Friday night.

McIlroy and Scheffler will headline the event alongside other top ranked players including Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa, Chris Gotterup and Russell Henley.

Europe’s Ryder Cup stars Robert MacIntyre, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick will also be teeing it up.

Former Players champion Justin Thomas is hoping to play following his return from back surgery.

Other ex-winners Si Woo-Kim, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler will be in action.

The full field will be confirmed soon while tee times and grouping for the opening two days will be announced at the start of tournament week.

The latest leaderboard from Florida can be found here once play is up and running.

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The Players 2026: What has been said? 

Players Executive Director, Lee Smith, has told talkSPORT.com what makes the PGA Tour’s Flagship event so unique.

Smith said: “Part of what makes The Players Stadium Course special is that it favours no one style of play, which is why we’ve seen players like Calvin Peete and Fred Funk capture the title, as well as long-hitters like Tiger, Rory and Scottie.

“When I look at No. 17, it’s the most iconic hole in golf, and I define that as one that any person in a bar, at home, on their phone, could look up and see and instantly know that’s TPC Sawgrass.

“The defining moment that hole provides – not just on Sunday but all week – speaks to the excitement of the moment, our fans holding their breath, and each player being terrified over a 140-yard shot they could hit in their sleep – if it wasn’t for the 10,000 fans and full body of water around the green.

“I love the fact that it’s the 71st hole in The Players and if you want to win this championship, it’s time to hit a great shot.”