The PLAYERS Championship is here, and as the best players in golf descended on TPC Sawgrass this week, the pre-tournament press conferences delivered far more than the usual course setup talk and weather predictions.
From Monday through Tuesday, some of the game’s biggest names sat down with the media, and what emerged was a fascinating window into where these players are mentally, physically and emotionally as we head into what many consider the unofficial fifth major.
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Justin Thomas: Finding His Way Back
Justin Thomas, the 2021 PLAYERS champion, is playing just his second event of the season after an extended absence due to injury. The rust showed at Bay Hill last week, where he shot 14-over par and missed the cut badly. But Thomas isn’t making excuses.
“There’s no scenario that I ever would draw up or be okay with in terms of how long I’ve taken off and how long I haven’t played,” Thomas said. “I am still going to be a little easier on myself than normal.”
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The extended layoff has forced Thomas to recalibrate his expectations, though he’s quick to note that patience has never been his strong suit. He admitted to being “really, really, really down and bummed” after missing the cut at Bay Hill, but he’s trying to give himself grace while getting back up to speed.
One interesting detail: Thomas revealed he has six weather apps on his phone. “The Weather Bug is my optimistic weather app,” he said with a smile. “I’m a huge weather optimist.”
As for his apparel situation, Thomas is currently a free agent and enjoying the freedom. “I’m wearing whatever I want every day I wake up,” he said. “It’s kind of nice.”
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Collin Morikawa: The Body Breakthrough
Collin Morikawa arrived at Sawgrass riding a wave of momentum. He’s coming off a solo fifth at Bay Hill and has three consecutive top-10 finishes, including a win at Pebble Beach. But what’s most interesting is what he credits for his return to form.
“The fall, November and December, October through December this past year was the first time I put enough time and energy into actually making an effort in fixing my body,” Morikawa said.
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For years, Morikawa had been trying to band-aid various issues in his swing and game. But he finally realized the root cause was physical. Specifically, he needed more movement in his lower back to execute the swing he wanted.
“For me, it’s just getting movement in my lower back,” he explained. “The way I swing the golf club, I have to be able to turn. I have to be able to separate my lower body, separate the upper body, stay in essentially that bend through the ball, and just kind of rotate.”
The work has paid off. Morikawa looks like the player who won two majors early in his career, and he’s expecting his first child soon, adding another layer of excitement to an already positive stretch.
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Tommy Fleetwood: The Reigning FedExCup Champion
Tommy Fleetwood, last year’s FedExCup champion, is also navigating life as an apparel free agent. When asked about his hat choices, he revealed that his middle son Mo actually bought the hat he was wearing during his press conference about two or three years ago.
“He’s much more of a hat connoisseur than I am so I trust his judgment,” Fleetwood said.
But beyond fashion, Fleetwood addressed something more serious. With his family still in Dubai amid recent tensions in the Middle East, he was asked about their safety.
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“My family have been very, very safe,” Fleetwood said. “I think the UAE, the country, have done an unbelievable job at making everybody feel very safe and very secure and handling that.”
Fleetwood also had high praise for European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who will lead the team for a third consecutive time. “He’s definitely grown into that leadership role that he has,” Fleetwood said. “He’s not going to be the loudest in the room, but he, as a leader and a captain, he probably has the strongest presence.”
Brooks Koepka: The Returnee
Brooks Koepka is settling into his return to the PGA TOUR after his time on LIV Golf. As the first participant in the TOUR’s returning member program, he’s been pleasantly surprised by the reception.
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“The fans have been great,” Koepka said. “I’m still getting ‘welcome back’ as of yesterday, so I mean, it’s a good feeling.”
Koepka has made some significant equipment changes, most notably switching from a blade putter to a Spider mallet. The change came after years of struggling with consistency on the greens.
“When you feel like you did something right and you look up and it’s not even close, you know that there’s a problem,” Koepka said. “And that was just kind of my breaking point in Phoenix.”
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He also revealed that he changes his phone number frequently to maintain focus. “I do it probably more often than I should,” he admitted. “After Phoenix just wanted a little bit of a reset.”
One amusing note: Koepka said about 30 percent of the current PGA TOUR he doesn’t know. “I’m knowing more guys just being out here, but it’s going to take me a few more weeks,” he said.
Scottie Scheffler: The Standard Bearer
Two-time defending PLAYERS champion Scottie Scheffler provided perhaps the most insightful commentary on the golf course itself and what makes it special.
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“When you look at this golf course, I think it’s so unique in a sense of, the way modern golf is kind of trending, I think this place you kind of take some steps back where the areas to hit into are small,” Scheffler said.
He went on to describe how the course forces players to shape the ball both ways, hole after hole. “No. 1 is a fade off the tee, the second shot is a draw. No. 2, the tee shot’s a draw and the second shot suits a fade.”
Scheffler also addressed the driver speculation, giving a long-winded non-answer about whether he’ll use new technology this week. When pressed, he smiled and said, “That was a really long-winded way of saying no comment.”
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Looking Ahead
Wednesday brings more storylines. Rory McIlroy is scheduled to speak to the press, though his availability depends on the status of his back issues. PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp will deliver his annual State of the TOUR address at 10:00 a.m. EST.
But already, this week at TPC Sawgrass has reminded us that golf is about more than birdies and bogeys. It’s about human beings navigating triumph and struggle, often at the same time.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer who serves as Athlon Sports Senior Golf Writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org, where he is their Lead Golf Writer. To stay updated on all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Golf section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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