The Players Championship Recap and Highlights

The Players Championship for 2023 took place from March 7 to 12. Those who tuned in were treated to action-packed rounds. If you missed it, this recap will help you catch up on the highlights and answer common questions like "where was The Players Championship 2023?" and "what was the payout for The Players Championship?"

All About the Players Championship

The Players Championship kicked off in 1974 as a way to bring together professional golf's top players for a major tournament with a big purse. For the first 36 years, the tournament was in March but then it moved to May in 2007. Starting in 2019, the tournament returned to its original month when the PGA Championship's date shifted from August to May. In the entire history of The Players Championship, only five players have ever won the tournament plus a major championship in the same year: Jack Nicklaus in 1978, Hal Sutton in 1983, Tiger Woods in 2001, Martin Kaymer in 2014 and Cameron Smith in 2022.

Where Was the Players Championship Held?

During the early years of the tournament, different clubs and courses hosted The Players Championship, but since 1976, the answer to the question "where is The Players Championship?" has been Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. TPC at Sawgrass has been the course for the event since 1982. It's a par-72, 36-hole course designed by Peter and Alice Dye. It boasts an overall rating of 76.4 and has a slope rating of 155, making it a challenging setting for The Players Championship.

Who Competes in the Players Championship?

Each year, 144 players compete in The Players Championship. Pro players can qualify if they:

• Won any of the PGA Tour events since the last Players Championship
• Were in the top 125 on the FedEx Cup points list during the previous season
• Won the Players Championship in the last five years
• Won the Tour Championship, World Golf Championship, Memorial Tournament, Arnold Palmer Invitational or Genesis Invitational in the last three years
• Ranked in the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking
• Won the Seniors Players Championship the previous year
• Were a money leader on the Korn Ferry Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour Finals
• Ranked in the current top 10 on the FedEx Cup points list

This eligibility criteria allows a diverse pool of players to compete, adding excitement to every tournament.

The Players Championship Payout and Earnings

For 2023, The Players Championship payout totaled $25 million, making it the tournament with the biggest purse of the year. How much an individual player earns depends on where they finish on The Players Championship leaderboard. First place was guaranteed to take home $4.5 million, while the second and third-place earnings were $2.725 and $1.475 million, respectively. Players who finished in the top 15 were assured to win at least $500,000, and payouts for all top 13 finishers were in the six figures.

Vegas Odds of Winning The Players Championship

Going into the tournament, Rory McIlroy was considered the one to beat. In Las Vegas, a $100 bet on him to finish first would win $900 plus the original $100 wager. Those who managed to pick this year's winner, Scottie Scheffler, would take home $1100 plus their initial wager. John Rahm also had +1100 odds for the event.

Who Won The Players Championship 2023?

As previously mentioned, Scottie Scheffler was the winner of the 2023 Players. Born June 21, 1996, Scheffler is 26 years old and has been playing as a professional since 2018. He was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, but grew up in Dallas, Texas, the city he still calls home. Scheffler attended Texas & AM University and played on the golf team there.

Scheffler had a big season last year, winning the WM Phoenix Open, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Masters Tournament and the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. He's already starting this season off strong by being the winner at the WM Phoenix Open held February 9 to 12 at TPC Scottsdale. With his latest win, Scheffler's career earnings are more than $36.6 million. With this key win, all eyes will certainly be on Scheffler for the rest of the season.

Weekend Recap of Highlights

There were many big moments at this year's Players Championship. On Sunday, Tom Hoge finished the round 10-under 62, breaking the Stadium Course record previously held by nine players, including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Greg Norman. His impressive performance helped Tom Hoge secure third place on the leaderboard, tied with Viktor Hovland.

We also saw three players make a hole-in-one on the legendary 17th hole during the tournament. In fact, this tricky hole has now seen a total of 13 hole-in-ones over the years. Some people are even wondering if the 17th hole is getting too easy for the top-notch golfers who are competing in the Players Championship.

Tyrell Hatton also had a great weekend, finishing strong on the back nine with seven birdies and no bogeys. It was enough to put him in second place on the leaderboard. This is the third time the British golfer has been a runner-up at the PGA Tour event.

Jerry Kelly also set a record, becoming the oldest player to ever make the cut at The Players Championship at 56 years, 3 months and 16 days. Kelly qualified for the tournament by winning the Senior Players Championship. On Sunday, he finished up tied for 54th place, beating out favored-to-win Rory McIlroy. McIlroy reported that he's struggling with his new driver, which had him hitting only 13 of 28 fairways during the tournament.

Look Like a Champion on the Course

With The Players Tournament behind us, the buzz about the Masters, which will take place April 3 to 9, begins. At the same time, colder winter weather is starting to give way to warmer spring days, meaning golfers in many parts of the country are getting back on the course. Devereux can help you gear up for spring and summer golf with apparel and accessories that can enhance your play while allowing you to look stylish on the course and off. Shop our new arrivals and get ready to dress like a champion this year.