The Players Championship 2026 Tee Times: Scheffler, McIlroy, and Koepka Headline TPC Sawgrass Round 1
Round 1 of The Players Championship 2026 is underway at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida — and the draw has already created a split that could define the entire week. Early starters get 69-degree calm. The afternoon wave gets storms. That gap may matter more than handicaps.
A 123-player field competes for a $25 million purse, with the winner collecting $4.5 million and 700 FedEx Cup points. Forty-six of the top 50 players in the world are in the field.
The Players Championship 2026 Tee Times: Who Goes When
The marquee morning group sets off from the 10th tee. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler plays alongside FedExCup winner Tommy Fleetwood and past champion Justin Thomas at 8:52 AM ET Thursday. Right before them, FedExCup leader Collin Morikawa tees it up alongside Ludvig Åberg and 2017 champion Si Woo Kim at 8:40 AM ET — arguably the strongest group of the week on paper, and the one most insulated from the afternoon weather threat.
Brooks Koepka returns to TPC Sawgrass in his first PGA Tour season back after LIV Golf. He is paired with Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Akshay Bhatia and Tony Finau, kicking off at 8:28 AM ET off the 10th tee.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy draws the afternoon wave alongside Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama at 1:42 PM ET Thursday off the No. 1 tee. That tee time is the elephant in the room.
McIlroy's Back Is the Biggest Story at TPC Sawgrass
McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week with a back injury he described as "stubborn" and did not arrive at TPC Sawgrass until Wednesday. He is listed as playing — but the afternoon weather window and a compromised back are a difficult combination at a course that demands full commitment on every shot.
Scheffler opened at 4-1 odds and McIlroy at 13-1, a spread that reflects the uncertainty around the defending champion's health more than any gap in talent. When healthy, the two have owned this event — Scheffler won in 2023 and 2024, McIlroy in 2019 and 2025.
The Weather Split at TPC Sawgrass — Morning or Afternoon?
Thursday's forecast is the talk of the range. Morning starters are expected to beat the storms entirely, while the afternoon wave faces the worst weather window of the week. At a course where precision iron play already separates the field, a swirling wind and wet conditions could blow the afternoon draw wide open.
Fan favorites Sahith Theegala, Rickie Fowler, and Jordan Spieth tee off the 1st at 1:30 PM ET — right into the heart of the storm window. Each recorded a top-11 finish at Bay Hill last week. Their scores Thursday could look very different from the morning leaders.
How to Watch The Players Championship 2026
The Players Championship runs March 12 through 15 at TPC Sawgrass. Coverage for Rounds 1 and 2 airs on Golf Channel and Peacock, with NBC picking up the weekend. Streaming is available via Peacock and the PGA Tour Live app for live featured group coverage throughout the day.
TPC Sawgrass: The Course That Eats Careers
The Pete Dye design stretches 7,352 yards with water in play on 17 of 18 holes and 92 bunkers. The signature par-3 17th island green — 137 yards, completely surrounded by water — has produced 14 holes-in-one in tournament history and ended more title runs than any other single hole on Tour.
Morikawa described the challenge plainly: "There's not one shot that you could just practice on the range and say, like, that's going to get me through the week."
Scheffler is searching for his third Players title. McIlroy is searching for confirmation his back holds. Koepka is searching for relevance on the Tour he left. Round 1 scores will be posted through the afternoon at pgatour.com.
