Players Championship: Sky Sports Golf pundits pick players to watch

The Players Championship has produced a wide range of winners through the years, but who do the Sky Sports Golf team think is going to impress at TPC Sawgrass?

Rory McIlroy arrives in Florida looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the PGA Tour’s flagship, with the world No 1 coming into the event off the back of seven consecutive top-five finishes worldwide.

Although the four-time major champion heads into the week as firm favourite to claim a first win of 2020, the star-studded leaderboard offers a wide range of potential champions.

We set the Sky Sports Golf team the task of picking a player they feel could have a strong week…

Rich Beem

Patrick Cantlay – “I could go down the tee times list and make a case for almost every player that they could win this week, but Cantlay is someone who is rock-solid and could go well at this course.

“He missed the cut last week but has been consistent so far this season, so there’s no reason why he can’t carry on that run. Having said that, I always defer to Tommy Fleetwood when making selections and he will go well around here once again.”

Paul McGinley

Matt Fitzpatrick – “Fitzpatrick’s not one of the longer hitters here but winners like Tim Clark and Fred Funk show that’s okay around TPC Sawgrass. He’s a great competitor, he’s getting better and he has a very experienced guy on the bag.

“I’ve got a feeling he could have a decent week, especially after finishing so strongly at Bay Hill last week. He’s well-positioned for the Ryder Cup and this week could get him a massive amount of points to help him try and his spot at Whistling Straits.”

Nick Dougherty

Marc Leishman – “I often look at the player who came second the week before, because I know from my own playing experience that you’re hungry for victory after coming so close.

“Leishman is a great driver of the ball, has great course management and has a huge amount of experience around this course. He’s already a winner on the PGA Tour this season and is in great form, but always seems to come into events under the radar.”

Wayne Riley

Webb Simpson – “The American won here a couple of years ago and is already a winner on the PGA Tour this season, so I think it’s a great golf course for him.

“He is already a winner this season in Phoenix and has been hitting it well in recent months. He goes about his business quietly and slides out of people’s thought process, but he has a good chance.”

Ewen Murray

Xander Schauffele – “Positional play and finding the right areas off the tee are the key around this golf course rather than length, which suits his style of play.

“Schauffele has been playing consistency in recent weeks without winning this year, although that fifth PGA Tour title isn’t too far away.”

Sarah Stirk

Jon Rahm – “Rahm’s playing great, and I think he’s got a point to prove after last year. He’s been working very hard on the mental side of his game and I don’t think we’ll see a repeat of the blow-up that cost him in the final round last year.

“He still needs that fire and passion to be a world-class player, but we’re now seeing that making mistakes if not affecting him as much over the next few holes.”

Justin Ray, 15th club

Tommy Fleetwood – “A rare missed cut last week in Orlando gave Fleetwood a chance to recover after nearly winning the previous week at The Honda Classic.

“His ball-striking metrics on this course are off the charts over the last three years. A similar performance this week will bring Fleetwood a momentous win at TPC Sawgrass.”

Who do you think will win the Players Championship this week? Watch The Players throughout the week live on Sky Sports’ dedicated channel – Sky Sports The Players. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 11.30am.

(c) Sky Sports 2020: Players Championship: Sky Sports Golf pundits pick players to watch