2026 PLAYERS Championship Golf Pools: Strategy, Ideas, Expert Picks & Predictions For TPC Sawgrass

The most popular time of the year for golf pools has arrived. So, if you’re a casual sports fan, hesitant to bet PLAYERS Championship odds, and want to play in a contest with friends, you’ve come to the right place. This strategy guide will walk you through the best options in each tier for your 2026 PLAYERS Championship golf pool picks.

I’ve also already written about PLAYERS Championship DFS picks for fantasy contests. These could apply to traditional pools, too.

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITES: TOP 10 IN 2025 ODDS

Find odds for this year’s THE PLAYERS Championship favorites below. You can use these to inform your PLAYERS Championship pool picks as well. Click any odds to wager on PLAYERS Championship odds at betting apps in your area.

STRATEGY FOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF POOL PICKS 

Like a daily fantasy tournament strategy (DraftKings, FanDuel, etc.), game theory is key for your PLAYERS Championship golf pool picks. It’s best first to understand who the popular players in each tier will be, then decide which ones you want to double down on and which ones you’re comfortable fading for a more contrarian option. Below, we’ll review each tier’s consensus popular and pivot plays. The format in each golf pool will vary, but the below tiers are structured in order of consensus betting odds, as is most common for golf pools.

HOW DO PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP POOLS WORK?

Typically, the best cumulative score under par of the players rostered wins a PLAYERS Championship pool. Some pools will severely penalize one of your players’ scores if they miss the cut. For example, if a player misses the cut with a score of +2, the pool may add 10 strokes and make the player +12. That means it’s critical that the players you pick make the cut. Also, check your pool rules to see if the worst score is not counted among your picks. Sometimes, this is a feature of golf pool rules and scoring.

Tier 1: Top 1-6 Players

The Popular Play: Scottie Scheffler

The World No. 1 has won this event twice over the last three years, becoming the first player ever to win THE PLAYERS in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024. Scheffler looked to be on another world domination tour after a decisive victory in his 2026 debut at The American Express. He’s looked human since then, however, with finishes of T3, T4, T12, and T24. He’s still the best player in this field, but not as automatic a Tier 1 pool selection as he has been in previous seasons. 

The Pivot Play: Collin Morikawa

Morikawa is red hot at the moment and will carry that momentum into a venue that caters perfectly to his strengths of ball-striking precision. After winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – another positional and windy comp course against steep competition – Morikawa has followed that up with finishes of T7 at The Genesis Invitational and 5th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Tier 2: Top 7-20 Players

The Popular Play: Ludvig Aberg

This time last year, Aberg was firmly cemented as a Tier 1 superstar in golf pools. A T3 finish at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational was a good sign that the off-season rust may finally be shaken off. He finished 8th in his 2024 PLAYERS Championship debut and looks to be in complete control of his game now from tee to green. 

The Pivot Play: Jake Knapp

The player who leads the PGA TOUR in Total Strokes Gained this 2026 season is not Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy. It’s Jake Knapp. Knapp has burst out of the gates with top-11 finishes in each of his first five starts. He’s 2-for-2 in terms of made cuts at THE PLAYERS so far in his career, finishing T12 at this event last year. A surprise late withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational seems to be for precautionary reasons, so assuming he’s healthy and ready to go, Knapp may be the most underrated contender in this field. 

Tier 3: Top 21-50 Players

The Popular Play: Sepp Straka

Straka carries one of the highest floors of any player in this field, and in turn, will be one of the most popular plays in PLAYERS Championship pools. He’s finished top-16 in three of his last four appearances at this event, and is one of just two players in the field who have finished top-16 here in each of the last two seasons. Straka is a Georgia native and Bermuda specialist, winning in the state of Florida back at the 2022 Honda Classic. He enters this week with three top-20 finishes over his last four starts. 

The Pivot Play: Daniel Berger

Consistency is hard to find at TPC Sawgrass, as even multi-winners of this event like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have not been immune from missing the cut over the last few years. Berger is the exception to that rule, with a field-best active made cut streak of 7 leading into this year. I realize, as a runner-up finisher at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, he’s not the most under-the-radar pivot. However, I don’t expect Berger’s ownership to get out of hand if priced up in Tier 3. 

Tier 4: Top 51-75 Players

The Popular Play: Wyndham Clark

The 2023 U.S. Open champion and 2024 runner-up at this event, Clark’s pedigree and name recognition alone will make him a popular choice in PLAYERS Championship pools. His best finish this year, a T13 at The American Express, came at a similar positional Pete Dye course, so there’s reason to believe Clark can repeat his strong 2024 showing at this event. For me personally, I’ll look to pivot off of Clark in favor of players who have shown more reliable recent form.

The Pivot Play: Aaron Rai

The safe, not-so-popular play in this range for me is Ponte Vedra Beach resident, Aaron Rai. Rai is incredibly familiar with this course, practicing out of these facilities year-round since moving to the United States. He’s finished T19, T35, and T14 over three career appearances at THE PLAYERS and is one of the most accurate ball-strikers in this field in terms of driving accuracy and mid-iron approach play. 

Tier 5: Top 76+ Players

The Popular Play: Tony Finau

Similar to Wyndham Clark, I expect Finau will be a name that gets clicked more than he likely deserves just based on the name recognition and long-term pedigree. Finau’s 2026 season has been solid, with three top-30 finishes over his last four starts. His course history is a concern however, with just one career top-20 finish here. I will most likely be looking elsewhere when filling out my linups in this tier. 

The Pivot Play: Nico Echavarria

Echavarria once called Ponte Vedra Beach home, and is very familiar with the facilities at TPC Sawgrass. That hasn’t exactly manifested in any notable results at THE PLAYERS, but there’s reason to believe better things are to come for the young Columbian. Nico is now a three-time PGA TOUR winner after chasing down Shane Lowry at the Cognizant Classic two starts ago, and has historically played his best on positional, windy course setups. 

Best of luck with your PLAYERS Championship golf pool picks!