All of the world’s top 20 golfers have committed to participate in the 43rd edition of THE PLAYERS Championship. But this tournament, which is often hailed as the sport’s fifth major, is also known for the depth of its field, and that only means that you can expect some major upsets or at least bear witness to a down-to-the-wire finish at TPC Sawgrass.
So with that being said, check out below at some of the best long shots who could leave us stunned this week. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to indulge yourselves with our comprehensive preview or our expert picks for the aforementioned tournament.
Putting your money on Kevin Na, who’s known to struggle when playing under pressure, might not be such a good idea. What’s more, this particular tournament—THE PLAYERS Championship—has not been very kind to him, and his huge meltdown in 2012 is certainly a proof of that. But right now, Na’s current form and recent performances gives us a few reasons to be optimistic about his chances.
Na has made it in the top-25 of the FedEx Cup in the previous two seasons. More importantly, he’s also (likely) assured himself again a spot in the top-30 thanks to multiple top-5 finishes this year, the latest one happened at the RBC Heritage last month.
If Na sustains his solid play, don’t be surprised to see him appear on the leaderboard at TPC Sawgrass this week.
Marc Leishman
It’s quite disappointing to find out that Marc Leishman has recently ruled himself out for the Olympics. Well, at least, we’ll still be able to see him participate in this week’s THE PLAYERS Championship, and his chances of finishing deep looks really good.
The 32-year-old Australian is bound to garner a lot of attention at TPC Sawgrass. He’s been putting up impressive numbers this season, as he leads the PGA Tour in total driving (77) and is among the top-25 in strokes gained tee-to-green (.943), strokes gained putting (.478) and scoring average (70.4).
Moreover, Leishman, who only has one PGA Tour championship, already owns four top-25 finishes this year. There’s no doubt that he is currently at his best form right now, and he should be able to pull out another impressive performance this week.
Russell Henley
Russell Henley’s going to be a pretty big risk. He’s missed the cut seven times in a total of 14 starts this season. But during that stretch, the 27-year-old American has also reached the top-10 three times with the most recent one at the Shell Houston Open.
In short, Henley could end up shooting himself on the foot or leave fans stunned at TPC Sawgrass. And the latter actually has a better chance of happening since Henley’s managed to finish within the top-25 in his last two tries at the iconic venue.
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