The Players Championship, the PGA Tour's flagship event held at TPC Sawgrass since 1982, has seen high turnover with only one repeat winner in its history at the venue. Jack Nicklaus remains the only three-time champion, while seven others have secured at least two titles. Rory McIlroy recently joined this elite group with his 2025 victory.
The Players Championship has long been characterized by unpredictability, with 19 different winners in the last 21 editions at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Only Scottie Scheffler has defended his title there, achieving back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024.
Jack Nicklaus holds the record as the sole three-time winner, claiming the trophy in 1974 at Atlanta Country Club, 1976 at Inverrary Country Club's East Course in Lauderhill, Florida, and 1978 at Sawgrass Country Club. Fred Couples became the first to win twice at TPC Sawgrass, in 1984 by one stroke over Lee Trevino and again in 1996.
Steve Elkington joined the list with victories in 1991 and 1997, the latter by a tournament-record seven shots and marking the shortest interval between wins at the venue since 1982. Hal Sutton's titles spanned the longest gap at 17 years, from 1983 to 2000. Davis Love III won efficiently in 1992 and 2003, each time by four strokes over notable fields including Nick Faldo and Tom Watson in the first, and Jay Haas and Padraig Harrington in the second.
Tiger Woods secured his wins in 2001 and 2013, the latter featuring his iconic putt on the 17th island green. Scheffler's 2023 triumph came by five strokes over Tyrrell Hatton after a windswept final round, followed by an 8-under 64 in 2024 to edge Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, and Xander Schauffele.
Rory McIlroy's second victory in 2025 came via a three-hole playoff against J.J. Spaun on a Monday. As PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan noted, it marked the second time McIlroy had won on St. Patrick’s Day. McIlroy started the playoff with a 336-yard drive on the par-5 16th, followed by a second shot to 33 feet and a two-putt birdie.
