The Players Championship Final 2023: Outright Winner Odds, Betting Tips and Prediction

The 2023 Players Championship betting is a big golf event that will be played at Ponte Verdra Beach, Florida, USA, from the 9th-12th of March. There will be 144 participants, including winners of PGA tour events, and below you will find my Players Championship outright winner prediction, the most competitive odds as well as free bets that can be used on this event.

💯 Players Championship Outright Winner Odds

Since there will be 144 players taking part in this year's contest, there are plenty of betting options on offer for those who want to place a wager on The Players Championship winner. Also, because this competition involves the winners of every PGA Tour event since the 2022 edition of the Players Championship, there is plenty of quality on show, ensuring plenty of golfing entertainment.

Due to the huge number of participants, you will find that the Players Championship winner odds are pretty enticing, even if you are betting on one of the favourites. This is something that makes golf betting so popular among Irish sports bettors. In the next table, you can find the Players Championship outright winner odds that the best betting sites in Ireland are offering for the top 15 players to go on and be victorious.

The 15 players below are the ones that I think have the best chance of going on to win the title. Please note that the Golf Players Championship betting odds will change as the contest is played out, so the earlier you decide to place your wager, the higher your potential profit will be if your chosen player goes on to win. So, if you are confident about a player going on to win, think about placing your bet early before the odds decrease.

Player
John Rahm	8.00	7.68	TBA	8.00	7.70	8.50	8.50
Rory McIlroy	11.00	12.09	TBA	12.00	12.10	12.00	12.00
Scottie Scheffler	12.00	12.67	TBA	13.00	12.70	13.00	13.00
Justin Thomas	19.00	18.69	TBA	15.00	18.70	13.00	13.00
Patrick Cantlay	21.00	20.30	TBA	21.00	20.25	17.00	17.00
Max Homa	23.00	23.20	TBA	23.00	21.00	19.00	19.00
Xander Schauffele	23.00	21.10	TBA	21.00	22.35	21.00	21.00
Colin Morikawa	19.00	22.33	TBA	23.00	23.25	23.00	23.00
Tony Finau	23.00	23.81	TBA	23.00	23.75	23.00	23.00
Will Zalatoris	26.00	27.90	TBA	26.00	28.00	26.00	26.00
Sung-Jae Im	34.00	31.87	TBA	29.00	32.00	29.00	29.00
Cameron Young	41.00	34.53	TBA	26.00	32.00	29.00	29.00
Matthew Fitzpatrick	41.00	34.37	TBA	34.00	34.00	29.00	29.00
Viktor Hovland	34.00	31.54	TBA	23.00	35.00	34.00	34.00
Jordan Spieth	41.00	37.48	TBA	29.00	37.00	29.00	29.00

🧍 The Players Championship Player Performance

When it comes to betting on golf, or any sporting event for that matter, it is wise to take a look at how the participants have been playing as of late. Class is something that is permanent, but all sportsmen and women go through dips in form, and betting on someone who is out of form is a sure way to end up with a losing bet. Therefore, in this section of my prediction for the Players Championship outright winner, I will look at how five of the favourites have been performing lately.

1️⃣ John Rahm

John Rahm has started 2023 in fine style and his form has seen him return to the top of the golf world rankings. With how he has been playing lately, it comes as no surprise to see the Spaniard as the favourite to be the 2023 Players Championship golf winner. Rahm has won three events already in 2023 which were Sentry Tournament of Champions, The American Express, and the Genesis Invitational.

Despite these wins, some might be reluctant to put their money on him as he has struggled at TPC Sawgrass in previous years - in his five last appearances in this event, he has only one top ten finish. However, with the form that he has been in and the fact that he is the best driver of a golf ball on the circuit, his previous record is not something that I would be too worried about.

2️⃣ Rory McIlroy

The man from Northern Ireland was the early favourite in the Players Championship 2023 outright market, but he has been overtaken by Rahm due to the form that the Spaniard is in. McIlroy has not had the best of starts to 2023 finishing no where near the top in the WM Phoenix Open or at the Genesis, but he did pick up the Dubai Desert Classic title. Although he has not been playing at the best of his game, he has won four majors in the past and won this event in 2020, so he is definitely not a player to be taken lightly.

When it comes to his strengths on the green, he is one of the only golfers out there that can match Rahm when it comes to driving the ball as he can hit it further and straighter that almost any other player on the tour. One of his other strengths is his mental toughness - he excels when the pressure is on and does not panic too much if he finds himself falling behind as he knows he has the skills to catch up.

3️⃣ Scottie Scheffler

In 2022 Scottie Scheffler picked up his first major win when he won the Masters Tournament, pipping McIlroy to the title, and he also won the WM Phoenix Open, which is a title that he managed to defend in 2023. In addition to this, he also finished in a respectable 12th spot at the Genesis, so it is not hard to see why the bookmakers have him as a potential winner of the Players Championship 2023. When it comes to the Players Championship, he missed the cut in 2021 and came 55th last year, but this should not be held against him this time around as he has improved considerably.

While it is fair to say that he is not the best driver of a golf ball, he is definitely one of the best iron players out there on the tour. He also has a top work ethic that sees him strive to become better and better. When he first arrived on the PGA Tour in 2019, he did not putt that well, but he went away, kept working on his deficiencies, and is now one of the best putters in the game.

4️⃣ Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas has two major titles under his belt having won the PGA Championship twice, with his last victory coming in 2022, five years after his previous win in the same competition. In 2023, he finished 25th at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Sentry TOC, while he grabbed fourth spot in Phoenix and a 20th spot in LA. He knows what it takes to win the Players Championship as he picked up the title in 2021, so he will try to draw on this experience to help him win it a second time.

Thomas has one of the most powerful swings on tour, which is something that gives him plenty of confidence whenever he stands by the tee. Novice golf fans might not think that strength and conditioning is important in a sport such as golf, but it certainly is. He consistently works on his flexibility and core, which helps to prevent injuries, which ensures he performs better on the green. He also has the ability to hit his approach shots closer to the pin than his competitors, which is certainly an advantage.

5️⃣ Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay is ranked as the third best golfer in the world at the moment, and since he became professional in 2012 he has picked up nine professional wins - his best finish in a major event was finishing third at the 2019 PGA Championship. In 2022, he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the BMW Championship, and the RBC Heritage. When it comes to his recent performances in 2023, he did not make the cut at the WM Phoenix Open, while he came in third place at the Genesis. In the previous three Players Championships, he has failed to make the cut, but I would not bet on that happening this time around.

One of his main strengths is his willingness to persevere and work hard - whenever he comes across any challenges in life, he is able to quickly learn from them and grow. He also has really good focus when out there on the golf course, and being able to stay in the moment when there is a lot of pressure is something that he has attributed to his success.

✔️ Players Championship Outright Winner Betting Tips

When it comes to Players Championship outright winner betting, you can dive straight in and bet the player that you think will go on to lift the title, but this kind of strategy is not one that will lead to regular success no matter what types of bets you decide to place. Yes, there is a chance that you will get lucky and win your bet, but often you will just end up counting your losses.

I have many years of experience in the sports betting world, and below I have provided you with some top Players Championship outright winner tips that you should think about when lining up your wagers or this event.

▶ Look at the Player Form

I mentioned this briefly above, but I shall touch on it again because I believe that it is one of the most important things to check out when you are Players Championship outright betting or placing any other type of wager. You should see how your chosen winner has performed in their recent events, and if they have been performing well below their best, then reconsider whether it is worth betting your hard-earned money on them.

Yes, form is definitely temporary and they could eventually go on to win the title, but you need to decide whether you want to make such a risk. If you do decide to go for it, then pay attention to the cash out opportunities that are offered as this could save you if you predict that things might start going downhill for your chosen champion.

▶ Head-to-Head Records

In sports, whether it is a team sport or individual one, there will always be those who seem to hold some psychological advantage over their main rivals. Thus, with regard to golf betting and trying to predict the winner of the Players Championship final round, I suggest that you take some time to check out the head-to-head record that exist between main rivals.

Whittle down the players that you think will have a chance of being in contention when the Players Championship final hole comes around, and then see how they have performed against each other when faced with a similar situation in the past. If you see that one player seems to have the edge over another, then keep this is mind when placing your bet. Yes, your chosen player might still win, but it is not easy to overcome a psychological edge in any sport.

▶ Look at Previous Winners

Before you go and bet on the Players Championship 2023 winner, you should take a look at the previous winners of the tournament. I recommend that you do this because winning is something that can breed success, and someone who has won this prestigious tournament before will know what it takes to come out on top once again when faced with so much pressure. Thus, I shall now take some time to look at previous champions of this big event.

The winner of the 2022 Players Championship was Cameron Smith, but since he signed a contract with LIV Golf, he will not be taking part in this year's edition, which is a shame. Justin Thomas, who is participating this year, and is one of the favourites, won in 2021, while Rory McIlroy, who is also taking part in the 2023 edition, picked up the trophy in 2020. Below is a list of other players who have won it since 2010 and if you see an asterix beside their name, then it indicates that they are taking part this time around:

• 2010 - Tim Clark
• 2011 - K. J. Choi
• 2012 - Matt Kuchar
• 2013 - Tiger Woods
• 2014 - Martin Kaymer
• 2015 - Rickie Fowler*
• 2016 - Jason Day*
• 2017 - Kim Si-Wooo*
• 2018 - Webb Simpson*

As you can see from the above list of winners, nobody has managed to retain their title in the previous 12 editions of this competition. Jack Nicklaus is the most successful player in this event as he won it on three occasions in 1974, 1976, and 1978. Fred Couples (1984, 1996), Steve Elkington (1991, 1997), Hal Sutton (1983, 2000), Davis Love III (1992, 2003), and Tiger Woods (2001, 2013) have all won it twice.

🏅 Who Will Win the Players Championship 2023

When it comes to who will go on to win the 2023 Players Championship, who is my money going to be on? Well, for me, it has got to be between Rahm, McIlroy, and Scheffler. I could sit on the fence and leave it up to you to make your own mind up on the eventual winner, but I am not the type of person to do that. Therefore, if I was to place a bet on the winner of this event, my money would be on Rahm.

Why is this? Well, he has been the form player in 2023 and has plenty of confidence coursing through his veins. He will be very confident about coming out on top, and for this reason I would be happy to back him.

Our 2023 Players Championship Prediction: John Rahm to win.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Players Championship Outright Winner

✒️ Sheldon Muchmore - iGaming and Sports Betting Enthusiast

This 2023 Players Championship golf prediction was written by Sheldon Muchmore.

Sheldon is a tipster and betting expert from the United Kingdom who has a passion for a whole range of sports, particularly football, rugby, and cricket. He is an avid Aston Villa fan, so feel free to feel a bit of pity for him. He has been involved in the online gambling industry for a number of years now and has written a large number of predictions for a variety of sports including GAA, so he has built up a lot of sporting expertise over the years.