The Players Championship

Course: TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Yardage: 7,275. Par: 72.

Prize money: $25 million. Winner’s share: $4.5 million.

TV (EDT): Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (NBC).

Stat

62 That is the course record at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, which was shot last year in the third round by Tom Hoge. He finished T-3 despite shooting an opening-round 78.

Keep an eye on …

⬤ Scottie Scheffler. He won The Players Championship last year by five strokes with an average putting week. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by five strokes on Sunday as the top-ranked putter in the final round. He is world No. 1 for a reason and could become the first player to defend his title in tournament history.

⬤ Justin Thomas. The Players champ in 2021 is emerging from last year’s doldrums. He has recorded top-12 finishes in five of his last six starts. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend, he gained strokes in all four major categories, suggesting his game is rounding into form.

Tee times

Golf Channel coverage on Thursday will highlight the following groupings: world No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas (1:40 p.m. EDT); and reigning U.S. Open champ Wyndham Clark, British Open champ Brian Harman and two-time major champ Collin Morikawa (1:51).

On Friday, reigning FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth (1:40) will get the star treatment along with Ludvig Averg, Patrick Cantlay and Adam Scott (1:51).

FedExCup

Scottie Scheffler won his first official title in nearly a year and earned 700 points for winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He claimed the lead in the season-long points race. The FedExCup consists of 38 events – 35 in the regular season and three in the playoffs, which culminates Aug. 29-Sept. 1 at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Viktor Hovland is the defending champion.

1. Scottie Scheffler ................. 1,548

2. Wyndham Clark ................... 1,173

3. Matthieu Pavon ..................... 987

4. Hideki Matsuyama ................ 958

5. Byeong Hun An ...................... 948

6. Sahith Theegala ..................... 886

7. Chris Kirk ................................. 856

8. Jake Knapp ............................. 785

9. Xander Schauffle .................. 763

10. Will Zalatoris ........................... 761