The Players Championship is one of the biggest tournaments in professional golf, with one of the largest prize purses and winner's checks, a 144-man field made up of the PGA Tour's best, and an iconic location fitting for such an event.
Although it began in 1974, several different courses hosted The Players until the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass - the PGA Tour's headquarters - was confirmed as the event's long-term home in 1982.
The Players has predominantly taken place in March throughout its history but shifted to May between 2007 and 2019 as part of a PGA Tour restructuring. Unofficially marking the start of Major season, The Players Championship is dubbed 'the fifth Major' and is viewed as one of the most prestigious prizes in the game.
Many of the game's greatest golfers have claimed it over the years, from three-time champion Jack Nicklaus to Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
As far as qualifying for The Players Championship goes, there are more than a dozen possible routes through a variety of tours. The only exception is the LIV Golf League, with current LIV pros or players who have competed on the PIF-backed circuit within the past 12 months ineligible.
The first and most straightforward is by winning a PGA Tour event since the previous Players Championship. In a similar vein, any Major champions or victors of The Players itself from the preceding five-year period gain entry.
All separate categories, winners of either the Tour Championship, the Genesis Invitational, the Memorial Tournament or the Arnold Palmer Invitational over the past three years earn exemptions into The Players.
The same is true for pros who triumphed at World Golf Championship events, although given that they ended in 2023, 2025 will be the final year of that exemption category.
Any professional inside the World's top-50, providing they are not a current member of the LIV Golf League - is also eligible for a Thursday and Friday tee time at TPC Sawgrass. Laurie Canter made history in 2025 by becoming the first former LIV golfer to compete in an exclusive PGA Tour event via his world ranking spot - earned through achievements on the DP World Tour.
The majority of the Players Championship field is made up of the top-125 players from the past campaign's FedEx Cup points standings, with pros who would have qualified via this route but have returned to playing through medical exemptions also exempt.
Should a current PGA Tour golfer not qualify for The Players through any of the aforementioned categories, they could earn a spot at TPC Sawgrass by sitting inside the top-10 of the current FedEx Cup points list prior to the Cognizant Classic (two events before The Players).
For non-PGA Tour players, possible routes to 'the fifth Major' include winning the Senior Players Championship, topping the Korn Ferry Tour money list from the previous season, or finishing as the highest-ranking player on the DP World Tour's Race To Dubai who earned a PGA Tour card last term.
Should it be necessary, the remaining positions and alternates are filled from golfers outside the current top-10 in the FedEx Cup standings at the culmination of the Cognizant Classic.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
- Winners of PGA Tour events since the last Players Championship
- Top-125 from previous season's FedEx Cup points list
- Top-125 (medical extensions)
- Major champions over the past five years
- Players Championship winners from the past five years
- The Tour Championship winners from the past three years
- World Golf Championship winners from the past three years
- Memorial Tournament, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Genesis Invitational winners from the past three years
- Top-50 from the Official World Golf Ranking
- Senior Players Championship winner from the prior year
- Korn Ferry Tour money leader from prior season
- Leading DP World Tour player to earn a PGA Tour card through Race To Dubai
- Top-10 FedEx Cup points leaders from current year
- Remaining positions and alternates filled from the current season's FedEx Cup standings (top-10)
