Pro Golf Now
Fansided

The Players Championship: Examining Potential Champions in 2022

By Josh Chandler

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 07: A general view of the 17th hole during practice a round prior to THE PLAYERS Championship at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium course on March 07, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 07: A general view of the 17th hole during practice a round prior to THE PLAYERS Championship at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium course on March 07, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Players Championship, 2022 Players Championship, PGA, TPC Sawgrass
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – MARCH 06: Viktor Hovland of Norway reacts on the 17th green during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Golf Course on March 06, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

#3. Viktor Hovland

Case For: Like Morikawa, Hovland will be making his second Players Championship appearance this year, also like Morikawa, Hovland is one of the best iron players on the planet already. That should also bode well for him as he takes to TPC Sawgrass this week. Anyone can miss the cut at the challenging Pete Dye design, so that should not be too much of a concern for Viktor, especially as 2021 was his first taste of the PLAYERS.

There may not be another player in the top ten that will head to Ponte Vedra Beach in better form than Viktor. Four top 5 finishes in his last five starts, including a win, look’s very impressive indeed.

Case Against: Hovland has had some nice wins already in his young career, but he is still searching for that big win, could that play a factor coming down the stretch on Sunday? potentially. That is the one element that the names on this list around him have accomplished, for the most part, as both Morikawa and Rahm above him are major champions.

Additionally, if there is a weakness with his game it is the around the green performance. It cost him here last year, and he is still continually losing strokes in that department week after week.

More. Sawgrass: Where the games' elite crash and burn. light

2022 Players Championship, The Players Championship, PGA, TPC Sawgrass
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Patrick Cantlay of the United States walks from the fifth green during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 06, 2022 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

#4. Patrick Cantlay

Case For: A Pete Dye course specialist and a completely different player to the one he was just a couple of years ago. Patrick was on a roll until a finish of 33rd at the Genesis Invitational cooled him off a bit. It is pretty easy to imagine fatigue had played a factor at Riviera though after Cantlay had played in four of the last five events on the schedule.

Prior to the Genesis Patrick had reeled off seven straight top 10 finishes, including a win and four top 5 finishes. There is every chance that a rejuvenated Cantlay comes into this week and walks away with the trophy, would anyone be that surprised?.

Case Against: Funny enough the one thing that could benefit Cantlay this week could also cause him problems. It has been a few weeks since he has played, so rust could definitely become an issue this week. He also doesn’t have a finish greater than 22nd in his previous four trips to TPC Sawgrass, this includes two missed cuts.

Home/Golf News