Starting tomorrow, some of the best golfers in the world will be teeing it up for the first major in 2020. Played at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, The Players is poised to grab the attention of the golf world. The field is strong and players are prepared for all the hype and pressure that is associated with what some consider the 5th major. It will be interesting to see who will rise to the top of the heap to claim the prize!
The odds makers have said their piece and picked their winner from the 144 man field. I am not sure exactly how they came up with the odds because depending on which odds maker you follow, the results are different. However, I am sure it was a little more scientific that gut feel.
In one poll, Rory McIlroy is the top pick to win this weekend. This is not a far stretch considering he is the world number one ranked player. Close on his heels in the odds is Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, and Patrick Cantlay. Of course there are many other top names in the field, but the odds makers believe these players have the best chance to win. I guess their thoughts are as good as any others. However, the poll I chosen to use is from PGATOUR power rankings. I figure their selections is something that most readers can support as the benchmark moving forward.
In the past, I have tried to select winners for the big five tournaments. I had mixed success, but it was fun pontificating on who would end up in the winners circle. At The Players this year I decided to try something different, I am randomly picking names from the field and will compare them to the odds makers to see how I do. I have decided to limit my comparison to the top 5 players for ease of math. The table is read from first to fifth, here it goes:
| Odds Makers | The Grateful Golfers |
| Justin Thomas | Kevin Kisner |
| Rory McIlroy | Charley Hoffman |
| Jon Rahm | Pat Perez |
| Webb Simpson | Abraham Ancer |
| Patrick Reed | Francesco Molinari |
As you can see, my team does not really stack up well against the odds makers. However, if one thing golf shows us is that on any given day, any player can win. My head and heart would not have picked my random players, but whose to say that this would be any better.
The Players is going to provide some exciting golf and I am looking forward to see some fantastic shots, great recoveries, and long unimaginable putts. It action is going to be worth watching.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
I’ll be watching. And playing. It’ll be in the 80’s Thursday and less windy than it’s been for awhile so I’m looking forward to a little easier time getting around the course. 30 mph winds are a fun challenge on occasion but they get old after awhile and we’ve had them for two weeks now. I checked the weather for the players and they should be loving it. Warm weather with little chance of rain and no big breezes for them. I’d guess we’re going to get a good show.
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Kevin,
Enjoy your round and watching The Players!
Cheers Jim
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Hey Jim
This grand event will be happening 10 min from where I live. I’ve played the stadium course a few times ( it’s way over-priced). I will be attending on Friday. It’s a great tourney and the first place prize is enormous. It’s the best players in the world but it’s not a major – and that’s ok with me. I hope you enjoy watching. Good luck with your picks, as random as they are.
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Linley
Enjoy the action! I hope you see some stellar golf.
Cheers Jim
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