The 52nd edition of The Players Championship is here and one of the deepest fields in all of golf will take to the iconic Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass for the sport’s unofficial fifth major.

Located just outside Jacksonville in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Sawgrass boasts one of the most iconic closing stretches in all of golf – highlighted by the equally famous and daunting par-3 17th.

Usually playing at just 137 yards, the famed hole offers an intimidating tee shot entirely over water to a small 78-foot long island green with severe undulation.

Bad bounces, swirling Atlantic winds, and the overwhelming pressure of being in contention at the Tour’s flagship have accounted for big numbers and ruined tournaments for many golfers over the years. But those who have been able to conquer the hole on their way to a first-place finish have etched themselves into the rich history of the tournament.

Tiger Woods and his “better than most” putt from off the collar in 2001, Sergio Garcia’s pressure-packed shot to secure his win in 2008, and of course, Rickie Fowler’s Sunday heroics in 2015 that saw him birdie the hole three different times – including twice in a three-man playoff – for the defining victory of his career.

Legendary course architect Pete Dye constructed a ball-striker’s paradise that forces players to move the ball both left and right with pinpoint accuracy to avoid the many bunkers and water hazards awaiting the Tour’s best.

Six Canadians are in the field this week, with Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Taylor Pendrith, Mackenzie Hughes, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, and A.J. Ewart all set to tee it up Thursday with an overall purse of $25 million set to be handed out at TPC Sawgrass.

Conners, Taylor, and Pendrith are all coming off of made cuts at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, and will look for more of the same this week at The Players.

Conners, of Listowel, Ont., was in contention early after opening with a 3-under 69 at Bay Hill, but fell off after playing his final 54 holes at 2-over. He finished the tournament in a tie for 33rd.

Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) did not find the same early success as Conners, but gradually found their game over the weekend with both closing the tournament in a tie for 38th on the leaderboard.

Hughes, hailing from Dundas, Ont., last played at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, where he recorded his best finish of the season with a T23. Hughes now owns four consecutive made cuts after missing out in his 2026 debut at the American Express.

Coquitlam, B.C.’s Ewart and Winnipeg’s Yellamaraju both played last week at the alternate field event in Puerto Rico, and recorded T26 and T37 finishes, respectively.

Two-time Players champion Rory McIlroy’s status is up in the air for his title defence after withdrawing at Bay Hill last week.

McIlroy announced Monday that he is dealing with back spams stemming from an injury sustained during his warmup on Saturday, and will aim to arrive at Sawgrass on Wednesday, just one day before he’s set to tee off with fellow major champions Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama.

Scottie Scheffler is also in the field as a two-time Players winner, and will look to rediscover his world No. 1 form at a venue he has historically found success at.

Since his win at the American Express to begin his season, Scheffler’s game has been on a downward trend with finishes of T3, T4, T12, and then T24 at Bay Hill last week.

Scheffler will play alongside reigning FedEx Cup winner Tommy Fleetwood and 2021 Players champion Justin Thomas for the first two rounds as one of many star-studded groupings at the event.

Both McIlroy and Scheffler are chasing a piece of history this week as they look to become the first player to win three Players titles in the modern era.

How to watch The Players Championship on TSN, TSN+

The action gets underway on Thursday morning with Main Feed coverage beginning on TSN4 and TSN+ at 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT.

A pair of additional feeds are available for viewing on TSN+ during the opening round, with the Featured Holes feed beginning at 8:15 a.m. ET / 5:15 a.m. PT, as well as the Featured Groups feed at 8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT.

Friday’s coverage mirrors the plan from Thursday, with all three streams beginning at the same time they did on the previous day.

Third-round coverage on Saturday gets underway on TSN4 and TSN+ with the Main Feed at 8 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. PT.

The Featured Holes feed begins at 8:45 a.m. ET / 5:45 a.m. PT, followed by the Featured Group feed at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT.

Moving day action will then head over to TSN4 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT.

Sunday’s final round gets started on TSN4 and TSN+ with Main Feed coverage beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT. Additional streams for the final round include the Featured Holes (8:15 a.m. ET / 5:15 a.m. PT) and Featured Group feeds (8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT).

Coverage of the final round then shifts over to TSN4 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. for the remainder of the tournament.

*featured groups are still yet to be announced