The unofficial "fifth major" of the PGA Tour commences Thursday with The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
While many of the top golfers in the world vie for this prestigious trophy, there are more ways to bet the tournament than just who will emerge victorious on Sunday. For more instant gratification, we turn to the First Round Leader market to find value on who will sit atop the leaderboard when play comes to an end on Thursday.
Here are my favorite 2026 Players Championship first-round leader picks and bets for Thursday.
2026 Players Championship: First Round Leader Picks, Bets
Scottie Scheffler +1500 (DraftKings)
Now may be the time to buy low on Scottie Scheffler, who is coming off his lowest finish since the 2025 WM Phoenix Open more than a year ago. That is not to say he played poorly, as Scheffler finished T24 last week, but his standard over the past calendar year has been extraordinarily high.
If there is a venue where he could quickly return to the top of the leaderboard, it is TPC Sawgrass. The driver is arguably the most important club in the bag this week, as positioning off the tee is critical for creating clean approach opportunities on this demanding course.
Last year, each of the top five finishers ranked 29th or better in the field in strokes gained: off the tee. That trend favors Scheffler, who ranks in the 98th percentile on the PGA Tour in that category.
It is therefore not surprising that he has excelled at this event, winning two of the past three editions of the tournament.
Cameron Young +4800 (DraftKings)
Another golfer worth targeting in Thursday’s opening round is Cameron Young. Like Scheffler, Young brings elite driving ability to TPC Sawgrass, ranking in the 96th percentile on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: off the tee.
Once in position off the tee, success at Sawgrass often depends on short irons and wedge play. Last season, 19% of approach shots came from the 125-150-yard range, the highest distribution of any 25-yard grouping at this course.
Entering this week, Young ranks above the PGA Tour average in birdie-or-better percentage from that distance.
He also enters the tournament in strong form, following a T3 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a T7 finish at The Genesis Invitational. That momentum could carry into Thursday’s opening round.
