Year after year, The Players Championship, hosted at the famous TPC Sawgrass, brings out golf's biggest names and is often considered as the strongest field of the season. The course tests every facet of a golfer's game, providing unique winners every year.
Here are four under-the-radar golfers who have a chance at winning the 2018 Players Championship.
Webb Simpson
Simpson enters The Players making seven consecutive cuts, a streak in which he finished inside the top 10 three times. The former U.S. Open champion plays well at TPC Sawgrass, with two top-16 finishes in his last four appearances. Simpson drastically improved his putting over the last year, ranking 10th this season in strokes gained putting.
Adam Hadwin
Hadwin is quietly becoming one of the most consistent golfers on the PGA Tour, making all of his cuts in 2018. His last six events have all resulted in top-25 finishes. The Canadian ranks 25th in strokes gained tee-to-green this season, thanks to great iron play and an elite short game. Hadwin made the cut at his last two Players Championships, gaining a familiarity that will only be beneficial.
Emiliano Grillo
The 2016 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year is playing up to those high expectations this season after struggling in his sophomore year. Grillo finished tied for ninth in last week's Wells Fargo Championship, giving him three top-10 results on the PGA Tour in 2018. The 25-year-old Argentinian finished 11th at last year's Players, a repeatable result given his performances this season.
Francesco Molinari
Molinari's history at TPC Sawgrass is impressive, with top-seven finishes in his last three appearances. The 35-year-old Italian showed his ball-striking abilities at last week's Wells Fargo Championship, finishing in a tie for 16th despite losing five strokes putting. TPC Sawgrass demands precision off the tee and on approach shots, which explains Molinari's success here in the past.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
