PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Compelling storylines are in great supply ahead of The Players Championship this week, where World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is bidding for an unprecedented third successive victory and third-ranked Xander Schauffele looks to bounce back from a recent rib injury.
World No. 4 Collin Morikawa is seeking a measure of redemption after squandering a golden opportunity to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week while Rory McIlroy, the World No. 2, and fifth-ranked Swede Ludvig Aberg each are chasing a second victory this season.
The elite field is one of the strongest in the game with the top 10 golfers in the world rankings — and 48 of the top 50 — assembled at the TPC Sawgrass for the tournament’s 51st edition.
Only golfing great Jack Nicklaus has triumphed three times in the PGA Tour’s flagship event, but Scheffler would become the first player to claim back-to-back-to-back titles should he win on Sunday. It also would make him the first player since Steve Stricker, at the 2011 John Deere Classic, to win the same PGA Tour event in three consecutive years.
However the past is not prologue for Scheffler, who is by no means resting on his laurels after a superb 2024 campaign highlighted by nine wins worldwide that included a second Green Jacket at the Masters and Olympic gold in Paris.
“Last year is last year,” Scheffler said ahead of Thursday’s opening round when he will play alongside McIlroy and Schauffele in a mouth-watering supergroup.
“I’m not trying to replicate it. I’m not trying to look back on it. At the end of the day, it’s in the past. It was a great year. … A lot of great things happened, and I’m very thankful for that. But when it comes to this year, I’ve never been a guy that sets long-term goals … I have what I would think of as dreams and aspirations, but my goal is to be as prepared as possible when I step up on the first tee and then I want to have a good attitude when I go out and play over each shot. And that’s how I view success.”
Scheffler came from behind with a sizzling 8-under 64 to win The Players Championship by one stroke last year. He didn’t hesitate when asked if there was any secret to playing the Stadium Course, which has been lengthened by more than 75 yards for the 2025 edition.
“Playing good,” he smiled. “I mean, you can’t fake it around this place. There’s a lot of genius in the way the golf course is designed. … It calls for different shots on each hole. You have to work the ball both ways. It doesn’t suit one type of player. It’s just the guys that are playing the best are going to be on the leaderboard on Sunday.”
Schauffele, the most successful player last year not named Scheffler after winning the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, aims to be among those guys playing the best. However, he accepts his game is a little rusty after missing most of this season due to a rib injury.
“Form’s a bit dodgy,” said Schauffele, who tied for 40th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday in his first start since sharing third place at The Sentry in early January. “I feel pretty good actually. I think it was a true test.
“Probably the worst course to come back to after not playing much golf, just from a confidence standpoint. But luckily, I’ll convince myself otherwise. Overall, body feels good and I’m excited to try and get back in the swing of things.”
Morikawa is also looking to get back in form with a focus on once again closing out tournaments. He finished a frustrating second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday and is hungry for his first victory since late 2023.
He was three shots ahead with five holes to play in the final round before being overtaken by a charging Russell Henley.
“Sunday night was a lot of frustration,” said Morikawa, who had to settle for his 11th career runner-up finish on the PGA Tour. “Obviously I wasn’t hitting it as well, I wasn’t putting as well, but I still had my chances to close it out, and Russ obviously played some great golf … to make birdie on 14, eagle on 16 and finish out with two pars is great golf out there. So props to him.”
“I just have to move on and I have to learn from it,” Morikawa continued. “I have to keep getting better. Like I always say, ‘Why not win this week?'”
–Mark Lamport-Stokes, Field Level Media
