Players Championship 2023: how to watch PGA Tour golf event on UK TV - tee times, prize money, who is playing?

Commonly known as The Players, the Players Championship is underway in Florida and comprises some of the best golfers in the world as they compete in what has been dubbed the fifth major. It is often regarded as the next most prestigious tournament in golf due to the characteristics it shares with the majors, such as the high-class field and exceptionally large purse.

Not only does the winner of The Players receive one of the biggest rewards in golf, and the largest on the PGA Tour, they will also receive 80 points towards their world ranking, a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a three-year invitation to the Masters tournament, three-year exemption for US Open and The Open Championship as well as an exemption to the next three PGA Championship tournaments.

So as some of the world’s best golfers gather in Florida, including Northern Ireland’s former world number one Rory McIlroy, here is all you need to know as the Player’s Championship heats up...

When is the Players Championship 2023?

The weekend will begin on Thursday 9 March 2023 and will conclude on Sunday 12 March. Tee times for round one and two will start at 11.50am GMT with the final players set to tee off at 6.51pm. Round three and four on Saturday and Sunday are set to begin around 2.30pm.

The tournament takes place at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida at the Players Stadium in TPC Sawgrass.

How to watch the Players Championship 2023

You can watch the tournament live on Sky Sports Golf and Main Event or online via the SkyGo app throughout the week. You can upgrade to watch Sky Sports Golf for just £18 a month or multiple channels for £25 a month.

If you don’t have Sky, you can watch the tournament through NOW. You can get a Day Membership for £11.99 or a Monthly Membership for £33.99, all without needing a contract. NOW can be streamed through a computer or apps found on most smart TVs, phones and consoles.

Coverage of Thursday and Friday will start at 11.30am while Saturday and Sunday will see the programme start at 2pm.

What is the tournament prize money?

The Players championship offers the biggest purse on the PGA Tour with the eventual winner taking home $4.5m (£3.8m). The top 41 finishers are all expected to collect a prize worth six figures and the overall pot for the tournament equals $25 million.

Those who finish inside the top 13 will see over $500,000 hit their bank accounts and the top five finishers will all receive over $1 million. Here is how much the top 10 finishers are set to receive:

• 1st (Winner): $4,500,000
• 2nd: $2,725,000
• 3rd: $1,725,000
• 4th: $1,225,000
• 5th: $1,025,000
• 6th: $906,250
• 7th: $843,750
• 8th: $781,250
• 9th: $731,250
• 10th: $681,250

Who is participating in the Players Championship?

Rory McIlroy is this year’s favourite to take home the $4.5m payday after he finished second in last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. He is joined by Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm just behind them as the front runners for the competition.

Last year’s winner, Cameron Smith, will not be in attendance after he defected to the LIV Golf League but the two prior champions, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa will both be bidding for another win in Florida. The tournament will also see Scotland’s Martin Laird; England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Aaron Rai as well as American golf star Xander Schauffele and Ireland’s Shane Lowry.