The 2026 Players Championship begins this Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, and this year’s flagship event promises to be a spectacular climax to the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing, with world number one Scottie Scheffler leading a stacked field at TPC Sawgrass that also features Collin Morikawa and defending champion Rory McIlroy.
The Players Championship extra places & free bets
It comes as no surprise to see Scottie Scheffler installed as the clear favourite to win The Players Championship, with the world number one looking to claim a historic third title at TPC Sawgrass and trading as short as 7/2 across most UK betting sites.
Sky Bet is offering a huge 12 each-way places for the action in Florida, providing a massive safety net for bettors navigating the notoriously difficult layout.
If the extra places aren’t enough of an incentive, the sign-up value is hard to ignore. When you join Sky Bet, a magnificently small amount of just a £0.05 qualifying bet unlocks £30 in free bets, giving you plenty of ammunition to support talented outsiders like Ludvig Åberg and Min Woo Lee at much more attractive prices.
| Golf Betting Sites | Extra each-way places | The Players Championship betting offers |
| Sky Bet | 12 | £50 in free bets to use when you place £1 |
| BoyleSports | 10 | Bet £10 get £40 in free bets |
| Ladbrokes | 10 | £30 in free bets when you spend £5 |
| Coral | 10 | £30 in free bets when you spend £5 |
| BetMGM | 7 | Bet £10 get £40 in free bets |
The Players Championship Betting Offers T&Cs
- Sky Bet: New customers only. £5 minimum deposit. First minimum £1 single, e/w, or multis bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 5 x £10 bet tokens. Free bets for multiples only. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets are non-withdrawable. 7 Day free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions. Further T&Cs apply.
- BoyleSports: 18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply.
- Ladbrokes: 18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excluded. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account registration at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stake not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
- Coral: 18+ New UK + ROI customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stakes not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
- BetMGM: New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non-UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
The Players Championship golf betting tips
McIlroy can get back to his best
It is hardly a shock to find Rory McIlroy positioned as one of the leading contenders for The Players Championship, with the Northern Irishman aiming to capture his second career title at TPC Sawgrass. As one of the primary threats to the world number one, he is currently trading at a tempting 14/1 across major UK sportsbooks.
While the betting public obsesses over Scottie Scheffler at the very summit of the board, McIlroy has been quietly compiling a spectacular start to his 2026 campaign. He arrives at TPC Sawgrass off the back of a dominant early-season run, including a brilliant victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a masterful title defence at the Dubai Desert Classic. He is arguably the most heavily armed contender currently sitting just slightly below the radar.
The Stadium Course is often described as an “ultimate shot-maker’s” test due to its intimidating visual angles and relentless water hazards, and that suits McIlroy’s aggressive tee-to-green game down to the ground. He proved exactly that when lifting the prestigious gold trophy here in 2019 and consistently conquering the Pete Dye layout. He is one of the best total drivers on tour and possesses the explosive firepower required to birdie this course to death while others self-destruct.
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Hovland’s time is now
It is incredibly easy to get distracted by the incredibly short prices at the top of the betting board, but bypassing Viktor Hovland right now could be a costly mistake. The Norwegian has been stringing together a highly encouraging sequence of results lately, cruising into TPC Sawgrass on the heels of several high-calibre performances on the Florida swing. Despite his undeniable pedigree and major-championship quality, he is somehow sneaking into this week’s flagship event without the usual intense media fanfare.
The iconic Stadium Course is renowned for demanding absolute perfection from tee to green, punishing bad swings with relentless water hazards and difficult angles. That exact premium on elite ball-striking aligns perfectly with Hovland’s world-class iron play.
He already knows exactly what it takes to navigate this notoriously tricky Pete Dye layout, having secured a superb third-place finish here in 2023 alongside a top-ten in 2022. Armed with some of the crispest approach metrics on the PGA Tour, he has the supreme accuracy needed to systematically pick apart these tight fairways and small targets while the rest of the field feels the pressure.
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Rose aiming for big upset
It can be tempting to write off Justin Rose following a couple of quiet weeks on the Florida Swing, but dismissing the 45-year-old veteran at TPC Sawgrass could be a massive oversight. Let’s not forget that just a few weeks ago, the Englishman rolled back the years to completely dismantle the field at the Farmers Insurance Open, breaking the tournament scoring record in a wire-to-wire masterclass. Sitting at massive odds this week, he is the ultimate high-upside dark horse for the PGA Tour’s flagship event.
While Pete Dye’s notoriously punishing layout in Ponte Vedra Beach regularly chews up inexperienced youngsters, it often rewards the tactical guile of seasoned major champions. Rose’s track record here is a mixed bag, but when his elite iron play clicks, he is highly capable of contending—as evidenced by his superb top-six finish back in 2023. If he rediscovers the laser-like approach game that fuelled his historic victory at Torrey Pines last month, he has the ball-striking pedigree to dissect this tricky venue.
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