2026 The Players Championship Picks & Predictions: PGA Longshots
The Players Championship tees off from the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Jacksonville, Florida, this week. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have won the last three editions, so naturally, oddsmakers have priced them as the top two betting favorites in this non-Signature Event field.
TPC Sawgrass is a par 72 that runs 7,352 yards with overseeded Bermudagrass surfaces. Water hazards are plentiful, especially on the closing stretch of holes, led by the infamous par-3 17th island hole. Rough is expected to stand 4.5 inches, punishing errant lies off-the-tee and on approach. Greens are a bit smaller than last week, averaging 5,500 square feet, while running up to 13 feet via Stimpmeter.
My 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks & Predictions: PGA Longshots finally cashed at Bay Hill on Sunday. Akshay Bhatia’s late charge on Sunday led to the 24-year-old securing a one-hole playoff win over Daniel Berger. We bet Bhatia at +7000 odds in the outright winner market before Round 1, so if you tailed, congratulations!
Let’s run it back again with three new golfers to target with longshot odds in the outright winner betting market at The Players Championship. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free bets and PGA Tour analysis throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
2026 The Players Championship: PGA Longshots
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Sahith Theegala (+7000)
Sahith Theegala is looking to add his second PGA Tour win under his belt at The Players Championship this week. The 28-year-old has three top 10 finishes in 2026, while making the cut in all seven events he’s played.
Theegala posted a career-best T9 finish at TPC Sawgrass in 2024, finishing -13-under-par. His other three outings have been poor, however, there’s enough to like about Theegala’s current form to take a flier in the outright winner betting market at 70-1.
In 2026, Theegala ranks 22nd in total strokes gained. He’s 44th in SG: Approach, 33rd in SG: Putting, and 17th for scrambling. The putter is a weapon for Theegala right now, ranked top-20 in putting average, putts per round, and one-putt percentage.
Coming off a season-best T6 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Theegala has momentum to climb into contention at TPC Sawgrass this week. Bet on Theegala to win outright at +7000 odds.
Nicolai Højgaard (+8000)
Nicolai Højgaard has been another golfer with consistently strong finishes in 2026. The Denmark native has a pair of top 10 finishes, while securing a T24 finish at Bay Hill on Sunday.
Højgaard has yet to make the cut in either outing at TPC Sawgrass. However, he’s ranked 18th in SG: Approach, 12th in SG: Off-the-Tee, plus top 20 for 200+ yard approach shots and scrambling.
The ability to get red hot and rattle off birdies is a feat we’ve seen Højgaard achieve on several occasions this season. At 80-1, Højgaard warrants a wager in the outright winner betting market to card his fifth career win and first victory on the PGA Tour.
Ryan Fox (+12500)
In the 125-1 range of outright winners, Ryan Fox stands out for a few reasons. The New Zealand native has gone T27-MC-T20 at TPC Sawgrass, while coming off a T24 finish at Bay Hill.
Fox ranks 21st in total strokes gained this season. He’s 17th in driving distance, 43rd in SG: Putting, and 11th in 200+ yard approach shots. Fox is also top-30 for scrambling and putting average.
The ability to brandish a hot putter is a potential difference-maker for this bomber. Fox is 28th in birdie or better conversion rate this year, while averaging 69 or better in the first two rounds.
Assuming Fox continues to score low to make an early run up the leaderboard, he can lean on his short game to rack up more birdies at TPC Sawgrass this weekend. He’s looking for his third outright win on the PGA Tour in the last calendar year.
At +12500 odds, let’s place on more bet and back Fox to leverage his driver and putter to come away with a win in Jacksonville.