Golf Tips: Best bets for The Players Championship at Sawgrass

• Steve Rawlings says Keegan can score at Sawgrass

• Dave Tindall targets another 40/141.00 winner

• Course info, players' form and outsiders to back at over 100/1101.00

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Players Championship tips and predictions

The Punter's Preview: Keegan can score at 69/1

Steve Rawlings: "Sawgrass allows for all player types to prosper so the Players is a magnificent but very open tournament as a rule. Scheffler ranked 14^th for Driving Distance last year but he hit it further than anyone else off the tee in 2023, as did Jason Day back in 2016. In contrast, the 2018 winner, Webb Simpson, ranked only 71^st DD.

"I'd earmarked Keegan Bradley for this event prior to last week's Arnold Palmer so I've got mixed feelings about his fifth placed finish at Bay Hill. Bradley shot the lowest front nine score ever recorded at Bay Hill on Sunday (a seven-under-par 29) so he's certainly found some form but that's obviously had an impact on his price.

"Now 38, he fits the experienced veteran profile so often successful at Sawgrass and his in-and-out course form figures reading 72-35-MC-MC-MC-35-60-7-16-29-5-MC-MC are typical of many a Players Championship winner. Bradley has won on the PGA Tour in each of the last three years so he's enjoying plenty of success in the autumn of his career and I was happy to play him at 70.0."

Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 25/1 to 80/1

Dave Tindall: "This season, Sepp Straka is ninth for SG: Approach (6th Cognizant, 10th Arnold Palmer) so really has those irons dialled in. He was third for Putting at Bay Hill last week and also 19th for SGP in Phoenix which has the same overseeded Bermuda greens as these.

"What else do you want in a Sawgrass winner? Temperament and steadiness would be up there. Straka ticks those boxes too: he's a calm character and 14th place in Bogey Avoidance shows he limits the mistakes. The current FedEx Cup leader, who finished runner-up in the 2023 Open and 16th in last year's Masters, will find you lots of fairways (11th Driving Accuracy) and even has the desired morning tee-time (8.57am from the 10th).

"And finally, his last six finishes on Pete Dye courses read: Win, 23rd, 11th, 5th, 16th. I didn't think he'd be top of my list when setting the various pre-tournament filters but there we have it... all roads lead to Sepp Straka."

Find Me a 100 Winner: Taylor made bet at 139/1

Steve Rawlings: "A slow start (75 in round one) scuppered Taylor's chances at Bay Hill last week but he still finished tied for 31^st and since finishing 48^th in The Sentry, a week before he won the Sony Open in January, he's finished no worse than 33^rd in six starts on the PGA Tour.

"His Sawgrass numbers reading 73-MC-MC-16-48-MC-26 aren't spectacular but they're typical of many a Players winner and it's worth noting that he sat second at halfway 12 months ago. Along with the favourable draw, Taylor also has form at Sedgefield Country Club - a course that appears to correlate nicely with Sawgrass...

"In eight starts, the Canadian has only finished inside the top-ten twice but he opened up with a 63 there last year to sit third before a 74 on Friday saw him miss the cut."

First-Round Leader Tips: A trio of picks from 50/1 to 100/1

Dave Tindall: "Tom Hoge looks a must bet at three figures given his Thursday record at Sawgrass. The former Pebble Beach winner was the joint-leader in 2022 while he also finished sixth after day one in both 2021 and 2024. Overall, four times in the last five completed editions of The Players, Hoge has opened with a round in the 60s and that's hugely impressive.

"But, in addition, the 35-year-old has also brought his fast-starting act to the PGA Tour stage in 2025. Hoge was the FRL at both season-opening Hawaii events, firing opening 64s at both The Sentry and the Sony Open. While he hasn't posted any significant finish since a top 20 at Pebble, Hoge was 17th after 54 holes at Bay Hill last week. With a morning tee-time of 08.57 from the 1st, he looks ripe to go low again."

Course and current form stats

Andy Swales: "Between 1982 and 2006 the Championship was contested during March, before moving to May for 12 straight years. However, it returned to March in 2019 and, to accommodate this new date, and take into account different seasonal weather conditions, organisers decided to over-seed the greens, tees, fairways and rough.

"Switching back to March meant conditions favoured the bigger hitters, and Rory McIlroy duly obliged. Suddenly there was less run on the fairways, and the ball didn't travel as far through the colder air. However, on the plus side, the softer putting surfaces became much more receptive to approach shots. But one aspect which hasn't changed is the need to remain deadly accurate from tee-to-green.

"After playing last week's event at Bay Hill where the greens, on average, measure a sizeable 7,500 square feet, those at the Stadium Course are around 2,000 sq ft smaller...

"A couple of former major champions, who are playing pretty well right now, are Jason Day 40/1 and Justin Rose 125/1. Day tasted glory at TPC Sawgrass nine years ago and, earlier this season, stood on the podium at The American Express tournament in California. He tied-eighth at Bay Hill on Sunday."

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