Players Championship Odds 2021: Vegas Projections for Top Players in Field

The 2021 Players Championship begins Thursday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with some of the best golfers in the world chasing one of the most esteemed titles in the sport.

Last year's tournament was canceled after the first round as the sporting world came to a screeching halt because of the coronavirus pandemic. The specter of COVID-19 still looms over this tournament, with former Masters winner Danny Willett withdrawing after contracting the virus. However, the players are back at Sawgrass with the hopes of crowning a new champion for the first time since 2019.

Most of the top names will be participating, though four-time major champion Brooks Koepka withdrew with a knee injury. Who might come out on top?

Let's take a look at some of the betting odds and analyze some of the top favorites for The Players Championship.

Dustin Johnson +1200 (bet $10 to win $120)

Bryson DeChambeau +1600

Jon Rahm +1600

Rory McIlroy +1600

Collin Morikawa +2000

Xander Schauffele +2000

Justin Thomas +2000

Patrick Cantlay +2200

Tony Finau +2500

Webb Simpson +2500

(All odds obtained via DraftKings)

Dustin Johnson is holding steady as the betting favorite. The 2020 Masters champion has played somewhat sparingly in the new calendar year, but he has still had success.

Johnson finished just outside the top 10 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January. He then captured the Saudi International in February before finishing in a tie for eighth at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, California. 

The 36-year-old last played at the WGC-Workday Championship at Concession, where an opening round of 77 essentially took him out of contention. Still, the No. 1 player in the world has been playing terrific golf since the 2020 season resumed back in June.

Johnson won the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup in 2020, then he began his 2021 season in a tie for sixth at the U.S. Open before capturing his first green jacket at Augusta National. He ranks first in scoring average, fifth in driving distance, third in strokes gained from approach and ninth in strokes gained around the green.

Although "DJ" is stoic by nature, his game is anything but, and he figures to be among the top contenders at TPC Sawgrass after finishing tied for fifth at the 2019 Players.

Bryson DeChambeau continues to bring a certain wow factor to golf with his prodigious length.

But for all the headlines about DeChambeau's large physical frame and outrageous club speed, he is also quite gifted with the flat stick.

DeChambeau ranks 15th in putting between 10 and 15 feet, with a 40 percent make rate. That is pretty tremendous, considering his length off the tee so often allows him to have easier looks at greens and birdie chances at putts in that range. He also ranks 38th putting from inside 10 feet.

Not all golf fans might be willing to endorse DeChambeau's overpowering approach to the game, but it has paid dividends. He ranks first in driving distance and strokes gained off the tee, as well as total strokes gained. He also ranks first in eagle average and 12th in birdie average, with a 69.518 scoring average that trails only Johnson.

The 27-year-old totally outlasted and outran the field at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. DeChambeau also used a combination of power and grit to win last weekend at Bay Hill. He will likely be hoping his length benefits him yet again at TPC Sawgrass. 

Collin Morikawa has inched closer to the top of the list of betting favorites this week, and with good reason.

The 2020 PGA Championship winner is playing terrific golf after a bumpy start to the 2021 season and has looked especially strong in the new calendar year. Morikawa finished tied for seventh at both the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Sony Open in Hawaii. He then bounced back from a lackluster showing at the Genesis Invitational to win the WGC-Workday at Concession.

Morikawa only just turned professional in 2019, but he has already rocketed to No. 4 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He has done so thanks in part to some of the best iron play in the sport.

The 24-year-old ranks first in strokes gained in approach. He is not overly long, but he makes up for it in spades with strong accuracy off the tee and flushed iron shots.

Morikawa will have to get his putter going. He ranks just 192nd in strokes gained putting and 211th from inside 10 feet. But if he can roll the rock and make some putts, he stands as good a chance as any to be victorious this week.

All stats obtained via PGATour.com unless otherwise noted. 

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