Sports

Players Championship brings biggest purse in golf. LIV wraps up Asia swing in Singapore

Scottie Scheffler tees off on the first hole during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill golf tournament, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Scottie Scheffler tees off on the first hole during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill golf tournament, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
By  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
 
Share

PGA Tour

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Course: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium). Yardage: 7,352. Par: 72.

Prize money: $25 million. Winner’s share: $4.5 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (NBC).

Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler.

FedEx Cup leader: Sepp Straka.

Last week: Russell Henley won the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Notes: Scottie Scheffler last year became the first back-to-back winner at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The only player to win The Players three times was Jack Nicklaus on three courses. ... TPC Sawgrass first hosted The Players in 1982. ... Tiger Woods chose not to enter. This is the last year of his five-year exemption from winning the Masters in 2019. ... The purse is the largest for a tournament anywhere in the world. ... The Players once had the strongest and deepest field in golf, before Saudi-backed LIV Golf began and those players were banned from competing on the PGA Tour. ... The field includes 24 players competing in The Players for the first time. Craig Perks in 2002 is the only player to win in his debut. ... Laurie Canter earned a spot through being in the top 50 in the world ranking. He played LIV Golf in 2022 and 2023, and one PGA tournament in 2024. He is the first former LIV player at The Players.

Next week: Valspar Championship.

Not PARSE.LY: Golf
Scottie Scheffler tees off on the first hole during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill golf tournament, Sunday, March 9, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Scottie Scheffler looking at a blank canvas as he goes for a 3rd straight Players Championship
 
Tiger Woods walks to the green on the fifth hole during final round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Tiger Woods says he ruptured his Achilles tendon, an injury that will keep him out of the Masters
 
Commissioner of the PGA Tour, Jay Monahan IV speaks during a news conference ahead of the Tour Championship golf tournament, Aug. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, file)
Monahan says PGA Tour won’t compromise essence of its sport just to get a deal done with Saudis
 

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

___

LIV Golf League

LIV GOLF SINGAPORE

Site: Singapore.

Course: Sentosa GC (Serapong). Yardage: 7,406. Par: 71.

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $4 million.

Television: Thursday, 9 p.m. to midnight (FS app), 12-2 a.m. (FS1); Friday, 9-11 p.m. (FS2), 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. (FS1); Saturday, 9-10:30 p.m. (FS2), 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. (FS1).

Defending champion: Brooks Koepka.

Points leader: Sergio Garcia.

Last week: Sergio Garcia won LIV Golf Hong Kong.

Notes: This is the third straight year for LIV Golf in Singapore. ... The league began in 2022 and tried to avoid going against big weeks on the PGA Tour. That formula has changed this year. One week after LIV Golf Hong Kong was held opposite Bay Hill, the Singapore event goes against The Players Championship. ... LIV Golf is the middle of a big stretch for golf in Singapore. The HSBC Women’s World Championship also was at Sentosa two weeks ago. Next week is the Porsche Singapore Classic on the European tour, that one at Laguna National. ... Dustin Johnson now has gone nine consecutive LIV events without recording a top 10.

Next tournament: LIV Golf Doral on April 3-6.

Online: https://www.livgolf.com/

___

LPGA Tour

Last week: Rio Takeda won the Blue Bay LPGA.

Next tournament: Ford Championship on March 27-30.

Race to CME Globe leader: A Lim Kim.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

___

European tour

Last week: Calum Hill won the Joburg Open.

Next week: Porsche Singapore Classic.

Race to Dubai leader: Laurie Canter.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

___

PGA Tour Champions

Last week: Steven Alker won the Cologuard Classic.

Next week: Hoag Classic.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions

___

Korn Ferry Tour

Last week: Logan McAllister won the Astara Chile Classic.

Next tournament: Club Car Championship on April 3-6.

Points leader: Hank Lebioda.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour

___

Other tours

Epson Tour: IOA Golf Classic, Alaqua CC, Longwood, Florida. Previous winner: Jessica Peng. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/

Challenge Tour: Kolkata Challenge, Royal Calcutta GC, Kolkata, India. Previous winner: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/hotelplanner-tour/

Ladies European Tour: Australian Women’s Classic, Coffs Harbour GC, Coffs Harbour, Australia. Defending champion: New event. Television: Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. (NBC Sports app). Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf