This year marks the 52nd edition of the Players Championship. Back in 1974, the dream of then commissioner Deane Beman to create for the PGA Tour a flagship event to call its own spawned one of pro golf’s most long-running debates—fifth men’s major or not?—which gained new life this spring with the tour’s “March is major” ad campaign. The event also inspired one of golf’s most controversial courses in the creation of TPC Sawgrass. Love it or hate it, Pete Dye’s Stadium Course has provided more than its fair share of drama over the years, helping give the event an identity like no other.
To celebrate The Players 50th playing in 2024, we combed through the tournament’s media guide and found 50 fun and fascinating stats that help, in part, tell the story of the event. For Year 52, we’ve tossed in two more for good measure.
Advertisement
42
Number of different winners of the Players
• • •
1
Number of repeat winners: Scottie Scheffler became the first in 2024 when he successfully defended his 2023 title.
• • •
T-5
Best previous finish by a defending champion (Jack Nicklaus, 1977; Tom Kite, 1990; Hal Sutton, 2001)
• • •
10
Defending champions who have missed the cut the next year (Last: Rory McIlroy, 2021)
More From Golf Digest
Golf Digest Logo What would you shoot at TPC Sawgrass under Players Championship conditions?
Ranking Players Championship picks 2026: Our 13 best bets to win at TPC Sawgrass
FAQ Players 2026: Everything you need to know about the PGA Tour’s flagship event at TPC Sawgrass
Advertisement
• • •
3
Most wins by any one golfer (Jack Nicklaus)
• • •
8
Number of golfers who have won the Players multiple times (Jack Nicklaus, 3; Steve Elkington, 2; Hal Sutton, 2; Fred Couples, 2; Davis Love III, 2; Tiger Woods, 2; Scottie Scheffler, 2; Rory McIlroy, 2)
• • •
32.31
Average age of the winners of the Players
• • •
$50,000
First-place prize money payout for winning the inaugural Players in 1974 (won by Jack Nicklaus)
1140256028
PGA TOUR Archive
• • •
$250,000
Purse for the inaugural Players
• • •
$4,500,000
First-place prize money payout for winning 52nd Players in 2026
• • •
$25,000,000
Overall purse for 52nd Players
• • •
Advertisement
$9,286,450
Most career money earned by a single golfer in the Players Championship (Scottie Scheffler, 5 starts)
• • •
$8,219,434.32
Second-most career money earned by a single golfer in the Players Championship (Rory McIlroy, 15 starts)
2205521783
Richard Heathcote
• • •
29
Most starts in Players history (Jay Haas, Davis Love III)
• • •
0
Number of winners who were rookies on the PGA Tour
• • •
T-2
Best finish by a PGA Tour rookie (David Lingmerth, 2013)
TPC Sawgrass: Stadium
false Public TPC Sawgrass: Stadium Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 4.6 26Panelists
TPC’s stadium concept was the idea of then-PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman. The 1980 design was pure Pete Dye, who set out to test the world’s best golfers by mixing the demands of distance with target golf. Most greens are ringed by random lumps, bumps and hollows, what Dye called his “grenade attack architecture.” His ultimate target hole is the heart-pounding sink-or-swim island green 17th, which offers no bailout, perhaps unfairly in windy Atlantic coast conditions. The 17th has spawned over a hundred imitation island greens in the past 40 years. To make the layout even more exciting during tournament play, Steve Wenzloff of PGA Tour Design Services later remodeled several holes, most significantly the 12th, which he turned into a drivable par-4, something Dye was never a fan of. View Course
Advertisement
• • •
2
Number of winners who made the Players their first career PGA Tour win (Craig Perks, 2002; Tim Clark, 2010)
• • •
41
Fewest number of PGA Tour starts before winning the Players (Adam Scott, 2004)
97985754
Al Messerschmidt
• • •
5
Wire-to-wire winners (no ties) (Al Geiberger, 1975; Greg Norman, 1994; Steve Elkington, 1997; Hal Sutton, 2000; Jason Day, 2016)
• • •
7
Largest margin of victory (Steve Elkington over Scott Hoch, 1997)
• • •
23
Most cuts made, all-time (Tom Kite)
• • •
23
Most consecutive starts made, active (Adam Scott)
• • •
27.12
Average ranking of the winner in fairways hit (since 1992)
• • •
13.82
Average ranking of the winner in greens in regulation (since 1992)
Advertisement
• • •
0
Number of golfers who have gone bogey-free at the Players
• • •
1
Fewest bogeys at the Players (Greg Norman, 1994)
1145307538
PGA TOUR Archive
• • •
1
Number of Players won with a birdie on the 18th to clinch the title (Steve Elkington, 1991)
• • •
15
First-round leaders who have gone on to win the Players (Last: Webb Simpson, 2018)
• • •
14
Second-round leaders who have gone on to win the Players (Last: Rory McIlroy, 2019)
• • •
22
Third-round leaders who have gone on to win the Players (Last: Scottie Scheffler, 2023)
1473066514
Sam Greenwood
• • •
6
Largest final-round come-from-behind victory (Ray Floyd, 1981)
• • •
69.67
Lowest career stroke average (Bryson DeChambeau, 12 rounds)
Advertisement
• • •
145.8 (1.8 over par)
Average cut score in the history of the Players
More From Golf Digest
Golf Digest Logo The first step to hitting TPC’s island green? According to our test, it’s using a tee
The 11 ways golf would be different if the Players Championship was a major all along
golf debate answered Players 2026: Is TPC Sawgrass a true championship course or just a tricked-up TPC track?
• • •
9
Most top-10 finishes by a player in Players history (Nick Price, Tom Watson)
• • •
12.08 under par
Average winning score in relation to par in Players Championship history
• • •
12.73 under par
Average winning score in relation to par for the 43 Players held at TPC Sawgrass
Advertisement
• • •
25
Most rounds in the 60s by any individual player at the Players Championship (Sergio Garcia)
• • •
4.339
Average score on the 18th hole since TPC Sawgrass started hosting in 1982, the toughest hole on the course
• • •
3.116
Average score of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, ranking it the seventh toughest on the course
1239178846
Icon Sportswire
• • •
1,068
Balls hit into the water at the 17th hole since 2003
• • •
50
Most balls hit in the water on the 17th hole in any given round (first round, 2007)
• • •
93
Most balls hit in the water on the 17th hole for an entire tournament (2007)
• • •
69 feet, 7 inches
Longest putt made on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass during the ShotLink era (Jhonattan Vegas, 2019, final round)
Advertisement
• • •
11 under
Lowest cumulative score at the 17th hole by any player in Players history (Tom Lehman, 62 rounds)
• • •
30 over
Highest cumulative score at the 17th hole by any player in Players history (Bob Tway, 64 rounds)
• • •
2
Players who have birdied the 17th hole all four rounds in any one event (Paul Azinger, 1987; Kyle Stanley, 2017)
• • •
26
Player with the most birdies at the 17th hole (Bernhard Langer)
• • •
13
Most balls in the water at the 17th hole by an individual player (since 2003) (Aaron Baddeley)
1211982762
Matt Sullivan
• • •
100 feet, 1 inch
Longest putt holed in Players history (Ben Curtis, first round, 2007, 14th hole)
Advertisement
• • •
6
Playoffs in Players history (Last: 2025)
• • •
27
Most birdies in one tournament (Sam Ryder, 2024)
• • •
9
Number of Players that have had a Monday finish
• • •
25
Number of Players that have had a weather delay
Read the full article here