X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Horse For The Course: PGA DFS Course History - 2025 Players Championshp

Todd McGill's DraftKings, FanDuel PGA DFS picks for the 2025 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Picks for daily fantasy golf based on course history

It was an eventful week at Bay Hill this past week as Russell Henley had a late charge on Sunday with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 16th hole to edge Collin Morikawa by a single stroke. It was a dramatic finish at a course known for producing such occasions, and with many of the PGA Tour's top talent finding their way into the mix at some point over the four days, it sets the stage for what could be an epic week at TPC Sawgrass for this week's Players Championship.

Highly regarded as golf's fifth major, The Players is one of the best events to add to a resume. It consistently produces top-notch leaderboards and is one of the most visible tournaments on the schedule. Like The Masters, golf fans can consume as much content as possible from featured groups, dedicated hole broadcasts, and more over these four days. If you've been waiting for a meaningful event to follow along from start to finish, look no further. Horses at this course are tough to nail down historically, so prepare for unexpected names to make an appearance. However, as Scottie Scheffler has proven the past two years, repeat success at the Stadium Course is possible.

Horse For The Course is an article highlighting players in this week's field with elite course history and is part of our free PGA DFS content here at RotoBaller. For some of the favorite DFS plays of the week, check out the Core Four article written by my buddy, Joe Nicely, here at RotoBaller every Wednesday. It's part of our amazing PGA Premium package that includes an all-new PGA Research Station, Lineup Builder & Optimizer, and some of the best articles in the PGA DFS industry! You can sign up now using the Promo Code TDG for an extra discount at checkout!

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code WIN! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

2025 Players Championship

Last season, Scottie Scheffler became the first player in tournament history to successfully defend. He is returning this year to the focus of all eyes to see if he can make it three in a row. With his game still struggling to get going, there should certainly be players hopeful that this week has a different outcome. Having repeat success at TPC Sawgrass is difficult, especially in the tune of three-straight victories. So, while I will never be naive enough to think Scheffler can't find the gumption to pull it off, the likelihood of it happening seems extremely low.

Scoring has been much lower in the past two iterations, with last year's -20 under being the lowest four-day total since Greg Norman's unfathomable -24 under par score in 1994. With heavy rains pounding the Ponte Vedra area to start the week, it will be difficult for the grounds crew to get the course set up as punishing as they'd like.

As many top players are rounding into excellent form, this will likely be their stiffest competition until Augusta. Considering the last six winners of this event haven't finished outside the top 25 in that year's Masters Tournament speaks volumes for the importance of paying attention for no other reason than in preparation for the first week in April. Golf season is officially back!

 

You can find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week. And be sure to read our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles and Player News/Matchup Outlook Posts to help you win big!

 

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass

Par 72- 7,352 | Greens: Tifsport Bermudagrass | Designed By: Pete Dye

Like I've already mentioned, finding repeated success at TPC Sawgrass is harder than most other venues on the PGA Tour. The layout benefits guys who move the ball from right to left, but it will require a mixed bag of shots throughout the round to get the most out of it. In other words, this is a ball-striker's paradise that rewards accuracy much more than brute strength.

Unlike the long iron importance that has been a mainstay at events over the last month or so, the Stadium Course features more shorter irons and wedges into greens. That is partly the reason for such close leaderboards. But softer conditions in recent years have also aided in bunching things together, as the ultimate separator of navigating the twists and turns of these holes becomes less important.

This isn't exactly a place that needs sub-70 rounds for four straight days, but the lower the scores get, the more pressing it becomes to have at least one super-low day on the week. Six of the last seven winners have recorded one round of 65 or better during their run.

 

Recent Players Championship Winners

  • 2024: Scottie Scheffler (-20)
  • 2023: Scottie Scheffler (-17)
  • 2022: Cameron Smith (-13)
  • 2021: Justin Thomas (-14)
  • 2020: Canceled (COVID)

 

The Horse

Scottie Scheffler

  • Notable Finishes: 1st ('23 & '24)

This feels like deja vu from seven days ago, but that should tell you how dominant Scottie Scheffler has been in Florida in recent memory. He's tamed TPC Sawgrass better than many throughout the history of this event, and until the outcomes change course in a very negative way, he's likely to be seen as the top dog at this stop on the schedule for years to come.

For anyone with more than one start, he leads the field in total strokes gained at the Stadium Course (+2.474). Interestingly, he doesn't rank inside the top five for any specific strokes gained metrics, but the body of work across the board is incredible. If you're looking for the most capable player this week, it starts with the world number one.

 

The Ponies

Hideki Matsuyama

  • Notable Finishes: 5th ('23), T6 ('24)

Hideki Matsuyama - PGA DFS lineup picks daily fantasy golf draftkings

Coming off his two best finishes in this event the past two seasons, Hideki Matsuyama returns to The Players looking for a victory that has eluded him throughout his career. It is still frustrating to know what could have been in 2020, having had the early lead before the event was canceled due to the pandemic.

This year presents another opportunity to get the proverbial monkey off his back. The 33-year-old has been off with his ball striking lately but is posting quality finishes, having gone T25-T13-T22 over his last three starts. He'll need the iron play to return to the level we're used to seeing from him here (averaging +1.165 in strokes gained on approach at the Stadium Course over the last 10 rounds) if he hopes to have another strong performance.

 

Si Woo Kim

  • Notable finishes: 1st ('17), T6 ('24)

Si Woo Kim - PGA DFS Picks, Golf Betting Picks, Daily Fantasy Golf

Coming off a T6 here a year ago, Si Woo Kim has had much success at TPC Sawgrass; however, that has come at infrequent times throughout his career. He is third in the field in strokes gained on approach at The Stadium Course over the past four seasons (+1.356), and given the impressive 15'1" proximity from 50-125 yards (ranked 16th on the PGA Tour), he's doing all the right things to find success again.

The South Korean has been stringing together nice finishes lately, having not fallen out of the top 25 in his last four starts. Unfortunately, exactly how he's getting things done hasn't been as consistent, meaning that ball striking hasn't always been the path to success. That won't be much of an option this week, so how that part of his game performs will play the largest part in where he will find himself on the leaderboard.

 

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS PGA subscription?

Like what you read today? You can show your support for Todd by using promo code TDG when purchasing a PGA Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium PGA articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer!

 

Shane Lowry

  • Notable Finishes: 8th ('21), T13 ('22)

Shane Lowry - PGA DFS Picks, Golf Betting Picks, Daily Fantasy Golf

It has only been within the last few years that Shane Lowry has found real success at TPC Sawgrass. He'd only made two cuts in the five starts before 2020, but he has amassed a top 10, a top 15, and a top 20 in three of the four years since. In the group of players with more than one start in this event over the last five seasons, he is sixth in the field in strokes gained on approach at the Stadium Course (+1.186).

Lowry is decimating fields with his iron play in 2025, ranking 15th on the season in strokes gained on approach (+0.650). He didn't have the weekend at Bay Hill that he wanted after leading through 36 holes, but if that form has managed to hang around, he will be in a good position to make a run again this week.

 

 

  Win More With RotoBaller

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.

Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team:

Between all the incredible Premium PGA DFS and Betting content and tools we put out each week, and our Premium Slack Community where we chat with our subscribers before lineups lock, RotoBaller PGA subscribers are armed with the tools, analysis, and advice to win more.

Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks


More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Lamar Jackson

Throws for Four Touchdowns in Week 2 Win
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
Zach Neto

Dealing With Wrist Soreness
Masyn Winn

Shut Down for Rest of Season
Tarik Skubal

to Undergo Imaging on Saturday
Tyler Soderstrom

Scratched on Friday With Groin Tightness
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP