The Players Championship 2024: Complete Qualification Guide and Entry Routes
The Players Championship is one of golf's most prestigious tournaments, featuring a 144-player field and one of the largest prize purses in professional golf. Hosted at TPC Sawgrass's Stadium Course since 1982, it has earned the nickname "the fifth Major."
Chess grandmaster Sergey Karjakin playing match
Players can qualify through multiple pathways:
Primary Qualification Methods:
- Winning a PGA Tour event since the previous Players Championship
- Finishing in the top-125 of previous season's FedEx Cup points list
- Major champions from the past five years
- Players Championship winners from the past five years
- Top-50 in Official World Golf Rankings
Man holds golden championship trophy
Additional Qualification Routes:
- Winners of Tour Championship (past 3 years)
- Winners of World Golf Championships (past 3 years)
- Winners of Memorial Tournament, Arnold Palmer Invitational, or Genesis Invitational (past 3 years)
- Senior Players Championship winner from prior year
- Korn Ferry Tour money leader from prior season
- Leading DP World Tour player earning a PGA Tour card through Race To Dubai
- Top-10 current FedEx Cup points leaders
Island green at golf course
Important Notes:
- LIV Golf players or those who competed in LIV events within the past 12 months are ineligible
- Medical extension qualifiers from top-125 FedEx Cup list are included
- Remaining spots filled from current season's FedEx Cup standings
- Laurie Canter made history in 2025 as the first former LIV golfer to qualify through world rankings
Past champions include Jack Nicklaus (3-time winner), Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, and most recently, Scottie Scheffler.