The Players Championship is all set to hold the final round of its 50th edition. Xander Schauffele is leading the table and shot a round of 65 on Saturday. His scorecard consisted of seven birdies which took him to 17 under par score. He is followed by Wyndham Clark on the second spot who shot a round of 2 under 70 in the third round.
Interestingly, the difference in strokes between the lead and tied for ninth-ranked players is six strokes. So, it is quite unpredictable who can win the title at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday. Henceforth, here are the top seven contenders ranked for the tournament:
7) Maverick McNealy
The 28-year-old American golfer is one of the two golfers without a victory on the PGA Tour to finish inside the top 10 of The Players Championship. He will start his final with a 13 under-par score. Also, he is top-ranked in the SG: Around the Greens list and has a very good chance to cover the lead on Sunday.
6) Sahith Theegala
Sahith Theegala is having a stellar time at the TPC Sawgrass. He is 12 under before the final round and has shot 70-67-67 in three rounds. He is T6 on the leaderboard and is five strokes off the leader, Xander Schauffele.
5) Matt Fitzpatrick
The former US Open Champion is finally having a good time on the greens. Thanks to his three rounds of 67-68-68 that took him 13 under par to be ranked well on T5 on the leaderboard. If he manages to cover the lead at The Players Championship on Sunday, he can win his third PGA Tour title.
4) Scottie Scheffler
The World No. 1 entered the TPC Sawgrass with a spectacular win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He started off his campaign well by being placed T2 on the leaderboard after the second round. However, he was seen rubbing his neck on day two which might have resulted in him slipping down. But Scheffler is 12 under par before the final round. If he manages to play well on Sunday, he can record his second consecutive win on the PGA Tour.
3) Brian Harman
The reigning Open Championship winner has had a stellar time over the last two days at The Players Championship. Despite starting with a round of 74 on Thursday, he shot blistering rounds of 64 and 65 in the next two days to finish 15 under par. With just two strokes off the leader, Xander Schauffele, he can capitalize the most on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
2) Wyndham Clark
The reigning US Open champion is probably in his best form in the 2024 PGA Tour season. He has already won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this year. So, if the 30-year-old manages to overcome the leader, Xander Schauffele, who is just one stroke ahead, it will be his fourth win on the Tour.
1) Xander Schauffele
The California-born golfer has been winless on the Tour since 2022. But his stars have changed their place at the TPC Sawgrass. He will start his final round play at The Players Championship as a solo leader. If he manages to card a bogey-less round with maximum birdies possible, he can put a hold on his win drought on Sunday.
With multiple contenders in very respectable spots, it remains to be seen who will lift the prestigious PGA Tour flagship event title on Sunday. The winner will receive the highest winner’s prize money paycheck worth $4.5 million in entire golf circuits.
