THE 2022 PLAYERS: PGN Expert’s Select Their Players’ Champions
The 2022 Players Championship is just hours away now and finally, after all the build-up, the biggest event on the calendar to date is set to get underway. The majority of the biggest names in golf have made their way to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for the 49th edition of THE PLAYERS.
TPC Sawgrass will once again be packed to the brim after a few years that we would all like to put behind us. Finally, the stadium course design can once again return to being just that, for the fans. With Justin Thomas getting set to begin his title defense the staff here at Pro Golf Now have come together and given their thoughts on who will leave with the golden player trophy come this Sunday.
Here are our staff’s expert picks to win the 2022 PLAYERS Championship
Viktor Hovland
Two of our experts have sided with the Norwegian to secure this week what would be the biggest win of his promising career so far.
Bill Felber: “Viktor Hovland isn’t as hot as Scheffler, but he’s close, with four top fours and two wins in his last six starts. I know Hovland has never won in the U.S., but what’s geography got to do with anything? I’ll take Hovland.”
Matt Hupfer: “The world #3 is flying under the radar, despite a second-place finish last week. Players in great form tend to win The Players and Hovland has six top 5s and three wins in his last eight starts. The chipping is a major concern but with tough conditions expected at Sawgrass, I’m taking a premier ball-striker who thrives in wind and rain.”
Jon Rahm
Kathlene Bissell is the only one of our experts picking the World number one to win the PLAYERS Championship in 2022. Rahm often wears his fiery emotions on his sleeve, and in some ways, his game matches up perfectly with that aspect of his personality. The Spaniard is still searching for that first win this year, but it seems like his breakthrough in 2022 is on the verge of eruption at any moment now. Jon is currently turning out top 20s for fun in the meantime.
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Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler has been chosen to continue his remarkable run with yet another win by another one of our experts this week.
Mike Randleman: “He’s going to take what he learned from a rare missed cut during his Players debut last year and ride his current form to victory.”
Shane Lowry
Our Fantasy Golf expert is sticking with the Irishman to add another big win to his already impressive career resume this week.
Hans Geevers: “In 2021, Lowry arrived at the Players Championship on the heels of several poor results on the PGA Tour, including a missed cut at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Lowry went on to finish eighth at the 2021 Players Championship. Well, Mr. Lowry arrives at this year’s 2022 Players Championship in much better form.”
Patrick Cantlay
Last year’s BMW Championship winner has been chosen by two of our experts to find the winners circle once again come Sunday.
Sean McCann: “14th in the current FedEx Cup Standings and 4th in World rankings, Cantlay’s consistency this season will serve him well this week. Ranked 6th on Tour in Scrambling, look for Cantlay to stay composed into the weekend and stay out of trouble.”
Josh Chandler: “Picking Justin Thomas to win the Players Championship last year was one of the highlights of my PGA season. Having said all of that it does put a bit of pressure on my pick in 2022 to come through once again with the next winner at TPC Sawgrass. Patrick Cantlay is the pick to be holding the trophy on Sunday this year.
It is hard to say that a player of his quality is coming into this event under the radar but that actually may be the case with Patrick after a mediocre showing at the Genesis Invitational in his last start. I’ll side with the man who loves Pete Dye designs and who has four top 5 finishes in his last six starts. Patrick Cantlay will finally win again after spending the last several starts in contention.”
Next. Pat Perez tells Mickelson what we all think. dark
Our team at Pro Golf Now will be giving their expert picks for each of 2022’s five biggest events. Next up, Augusta National and the 2022 Masters next month!.