The Players Championship preview podcast: Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, TPC Sawgrass contenders and hopes of history

Will Scottie Scheffler make more history at The Players? Can Rory McIlroy's club switch help him to another PGA Tour victory? Five storylines to follow ahead of this week's event at TPC Sawgrass, live on Sky Sports...

Will McIlroy's switch bring Sawgrass success?

McIlroy made multiple changes to his bag ahead of last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, switching his driver, woods and replacing a wedge with a three-iron, only to abandon those plans mid-tournament after a frustrating week off the tee.

The Northern Irishman has reverted back to the TaylorMade Qi10 driver, three-wood and five-wood that he used in his early-season victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his final round on Sunday, with McIlroy set to use those clubs again this week.

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"He had them Ubered from his house, which is pretty extraordinary - to have those shipped up - as it's about a two-and-a-half-hour drive," Brad Faxon, McIlroy's putting coach, revealed on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast. "He came back to use clubs that he's a little bit more comfortable with and he'll use again at The Players.

"Those clubs have slightly more spin for him and, as we know, Rory doesn't need more speed. You need a little bit more control, particularly at a course like The Players.

"His draw looks like it's back and there's nothing prettier in golf than seeing Rory hammer a draw down a fairway or into a green. His putting numbers, after round one, got very good again. I love his confidence on the greens. Around the greens, he's chipped very well.

"Finding fairways at The Players is essential because the rough is going to be thick, like it was at Bay Hill. These greens are small and your iron game has to be precise, and I think what Rory did at Pebble Beach - that has the smallest greens on the PGA Tour - can bode well for him at The Players."

Can Scheffler complete the three-peat?

Scheffler has been unable to match last year's winning streak this campaign, with the world No 1 still searching for his first victory of 2025 after registering nine worldwide titles over the previous 12 months.

He missed the start of the season through injury but has opened with four consecutive top-25 finishes, including a share of third at the Genesis Invitational, suggesting a return to the winner's circle may not be far away.

"He drove the ball spectacularly well last week at Bay Hill, having not driven it well early in the season," Faxon said. "We all know that he had to have a little time off because of the incident in the kitchen with the knife and the ravioli, but he seems to be getting on form.

"He hit the ball well with his irons last week. He's an underrated scrambler, even though you always think of how good he is tee to green. For him, like a lot of players, it's about whether you can keep holing the putts you need to.

"He's made huge improvements from Bay Hill last year with the putting changes, the work he's done with the extraordinary putting coach Phil Kenyon.

"If he does get off to a fast start, get some confidence with the short stick right away, he'll be the man to beat."

Is star group bad news for world's top three?

Scheffler and McIlroy have been grouped with two-time major champion Xander Schauffele for the first two rounds, with the world's top three immediately being thrown into extra spotlight by going head to head against each other.

"I'd like to see them spread out throughout the week so that you can watch different groups," Faxon admitted. "I don't know if these three guys want all this attention right away. It makes for a long week emotionally to play with those guys.

"I don't think they really care who they're playing with but the focus will be on them. It's like the entire gallery will follow those groups the first two days. TV is going to show every shot, every step every player takes.

"I hate to see those guys take away from the rest of the players, as you know that other players are going to get off to quick starts there. The scores generally are pretty low, unless there's extraordinary winds or conditions.

"I'd rather see those guys play together the final round than the first two rounds."

Are LIV golfers a big miss for The Players?

Although 48 of the world's top 50 are scheduled to tee it up at The Players, LIV Golf players are ineligible for a third consecutive year - including reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau - and there's no immediate sign of an end in the divide at the top of the men's game.

"This whole conversation of reunification of the game has been annoying now," Faxon added. "It's got to the point where you're just shaking your head because every time you think there might be some sort of optimism, it gets quashed.

"I know in the last discussions with Jay Monahan and Yasir [Al-Rumayyan] and even President Trump and Adam Scott, it seemed like there might be a solution. I really feel now that it's never been farther away.

"It hurts not having these top players like Jon Rahm, like Bryson [DeChambeau], like Brooks [Koepka] and you know so many others, like Sergio [Garcia], like Joaquin Niemann. How do you not want to see these guys play?

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"You might have said, 'hey a simple solution is Jay [Monahan], just invite several players to play at The Players' Championship'. I think he might die on the cross after he first said, 'you'll never play in a PGA Tour event again if you go to the LIV tour'. I don't know how this ends."

Why is picking a winner of The Players so hard?

Scheffler's back-to-back victories made him just the seventh player in history to win The Players on multiple occasions and the first since Tiger Woods in 2013, with the tournament producing all styles of winners since becoming part of the PGA Tour schedule.

"There's not one type of player that is dominant," Faxon explained. "You can be the longest hitter in the world and that doesn't give you an advantage. You can be a short, steady player like a Russell Henley or a Collin Morikawa and still have a chance.

"The par fives are all reachable - in the right conditions - for the entire field, but if you miss, particularly the second shots, you can get in all kinds of trouble around the greens. Usually you're rewarded there from hitting the ball into the fairway and you can't go crazy low from the rough.

"There's chances for weather to change the wind direction so shots become different each day.

"Those last three holes always provide drama. The 16th hole is a reachable par-five, then there's the infamous 17th hole and I think the 18th tee shot is the scariest tee shot in golf.

"When it means so much, the exemptions you get, the money you get, the FedExCup points you get, the world ranking points you get, there's so much The Players Championship has to offer."

How can I watch The Players on Sky Sports?

Sky Sports is offering extended live coverage of The Players, with over 60 hours of live content and action to enjoy from Tuesday to Sunday of tournament week.

Live from The Players shows begin from 1pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, with news and interviews ahead of the event, before wall-to-wall coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday at 11.30am.

Coverage also begins at 11.30am on Friday and follows the action from before the opening tee shot until after the close of play, with the action then live from 1pm on both days over the weekend.

The PGA Tour's main feed, marquee groups, featured groups and featured holes feeds will be available all four rounds on Sky Sports+, along with six bonus groups, while you can download the Sky Sports app to get live scores, text commentary and highlights throughout the week.

Who will win The Players? Watch live throughout the week on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday at 11.30am. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: The Players Championship preview podcast: Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, TPC Sawgrass contenders and hopes of history