The 2026 Players Championship
For the third year in a row, Hannah and I had the opportunity to attend the Saturday and Sunday rounds of The Players Championship. Pete Ross, who is Hannah’s uncle, has been volunteering at The Players for fourteen years and has generously hosted us for the last three. This is truly an unbeatable experience where we are able to take the golf cart right to the tournament, and experience all that TPC Sawgrass has to offer during The Players Championship. Pete works hole 1 on the tee box helping run the ropes and manage the crowds for the opening hole. It was great to talk to TC from No Laying Up again this year, catching up on some of the NLU crews recent travels and stories.
The Players Championship always feels a little different on the schedule. It arrives at the point in the season when the best players in the world begin sharpening their games for the majors, and the venue has a way of exposing exactly who is in control of their golf ball. Pete Dye’s Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass has never been a place where players can simply overpower the field. Precision, discipline, and patience tend to win the week.
Saturday at Sawgrass had the feel of true moving day. The morning started with mild temperatures in the low 70s and a steady coastal breeze hovering around 10 to 15 mph. The wind was enough to make club selection tricky, especially on the exposed holes on the back nine, but the course remained firm and fair for players willing to commit to their shots.
We spent much of the morning following the groups of Scottie Scheffler and Keith Mitchell before eventually settling in at the 17th hole later in the afternoon to watch the leaders come through.
Scheffler was never truly in the thick of contention during the week, but his Saturday round was one of the most impressive displays of control on the course. The world number one played a bogey free round of 67 (-5), methodically working his way around the Stadium Course with the kind of tee to green consistency that has become his trademark. Even though he remained well off the lead, the round was a reminder of how cleanly Scheffler can manage a difficult golf course when everything is under control.
We followed Keith Mitchell’s group for several holes as well. Mitchell’s aggressive style off the tee makes him a fun player to watch in person, particularly on a course like Sawgrass where the decisions off the tee can vary widely depending on the player. Mitchell posted an even par round on Saturday, which kept him at four under par for the tournament heading into Sunday. While it was not the type of round that vaulted him up the leaderboard, it kept him firmly inside the mix entering the final day.
At the top of the leaderboard, Ludvig Åberg continued to look every bit like the man to beat. The Swedish star held the 54 hole lead at fourteen under par, showcasing the type of calm ball striking that has quickly made him one of the most exciting young players in the game. Åberg drove the ball beautifully throughout the day and handled the Stadium Course’s demanding sightlines with impressive composure.
Saturday also produced one of the more dramatic swings of the tournament when Cameron Young reached the closing hole. Young had played solid golf for most of the day and appeared to be positioning himself nicely heading into Sunday. The 18th at Sawgrass, however, has a way of changing things quickly. After finding trouble on the demanding finishing hole, Young walked away with a double bogey, a mistake that left him chasing entering the final round.
With Åberg holding the 54 hole lead and several players stacked just behind him, the stage was set for a classic Sunday at Sawgrass.
Saturday’s Gallery:
Sunday morning brought slightly warmer conditions and another steady breeze pushing across the property. The wind shifted throughout the afternoon, creating some uncomfortable moments for players on the exposed holes, particularly at the famous island green on the 17th.
Much like Saturday, we spent the early part of the morning again following Scheffler and Mitchell’s groups before eventually making our way back to hole 17, where the amphitheater setting provided the perfect place to watch the leaders come through during the final round. This year Delta opened a new lounge behind hole 8 green which was a fun place to watch the challenging par 3, as well as the tee shots from hole 9. You just had to have a Skymiles number to get in so we spent some time here watching shots in the morning for a few groups.
Mitchell’s Sunday proved to be a difficult one. After sitting at four under par entering the day, he struggled to keep the momentum going and posted a four over round, finishing the week even par for the tournament. Sawgrass has a way of punishing small mistakes, particularly when the pressure of the final round builds.
Through the early portion of the round, Ludvig Åberg still looked like the player to beat. His swing remained fluid and controlled, and he handled the pressure well through the opening stretch. But Sawgrass has a way of testing players when they reach the back nine.
The momentum began to shift at the par five 11th. After positioning himself well off the tee, Åberg made a costly mistake around the green that led to a bogey, bringing several players closer to the lead. The pressure only increased one hole later at the par four 12th, where another miscue resulted in a double bogey. In the span of two holes, what once looked like a comfortable advantage had turned into a wide open tournament.
That shift brought several players firmly back into the mix, including Matt Fitzpatrick, who once again demonstrated why his game travels so well to demanding venues like Sawgrass. Fitzpatrick’s tidy ball striking and disciplined course management kept him in contention deep into Sunday afternoon. His steady play eventually gave him the clubhouse lead and put pressure on the final groups coming through the closing stretch.
But the story of the week ultimately belonged to Cameron Young.
Young came out aggressively in the final round after the disappointing finish on Saturday. He leaned on his power off the tee but paired it with a disciplined approach to the course that Sawgrass demands. Birdies on the front nine quickly erased the memory of the previous day’s mistake and moved him firmly into contention.
Then came the moment that will likely define the championship.
Standing on the 18th tee on Sunday, Young delivered what he later called “the best shot of my life.” With the pressure of the tournament on the line, he launched a towering drive that hugged the right side of the fairway and split the landing area perfectly, taking the water completely out of play and setting up the closing approach.
It was the kind of shot that requires total commitment, especially with the entire tournament hanging in the balance.
Young would go on to close out the tournament at thirteen under par, securing the biggest victory of his career.
Like so many Players Championships before it, the tournament ultimately came down to execution over the final stretch at Sawgrass. The par five 16th offered one last scoring chance. When Cameron Young found his second shot plugged in the bunker on 16, he remained composed and scratched out a par. The island green at 17 demanded complete focus. Cam stuck it on to the traditional Sunday pin and made the birdie putt to tie Matt Fitzpatrick. And the demanding 18th forced players to commit to every shot. How about a 375 yard drive with a draw to a skinny fairway to setup the par? Done.
That is what makes The Players so compelling each year. The Stadium Course has a way of staying in the fight until the very end. Power alone is never enough. Strategy, discipline, and nerve are always required.
For those who have walked the property, the tournament also serves as a reminder of how special the course really is. Pete and Alice Dye created a venue that challenges the best players in the world while still allowing fans to see every moment unfold. The mounding, sightlines, and amphitheater greens give the property its stadium feel, but the real brilliance lies in how the course forces players to think their way around it.
When the final putt dropped on Sunday, Cameron Young had secured the biggest victory of his career. It was a win that required patience, resilience, and one unforgettable drive under pressure.
At Sawgrass, that is usually how championships are decided. The course always demands one last great shot.
Until next year!
Sunday’s Gallery:
