Players Championship Golf Winners List - Jack Nicklaus On Top

John Eastwood

Editor

Last updated: 18 Mar 2021

John Eastwood 18 Mar 2021

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The Players Championship began in 1974
Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural tournament and won again in 1976 and 1978
Since 1982 the tournament has been played at the Stadium Course at TPC at Sawgrass in Florida.
The Players Championship has never seen a player win in consecutive years
Only six players have won the Players Championship more than once
Justin Thomas won in 2021, one shot ahead of Lee Westwood
Greg Norman shot the lowest score with -24 in 1994

Jack Nicklaus won 3 Players Championships (Getty Images)

Players Championship Golf Winners

Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural Players Championship in 1974 and went on to win two more titles in 1976 and 1978. Only five players have won the Players Championship twice.

Justin Thomas is the defending champion after winning the 2021 Players Championship. He finished one shot ahead of Lee Westwood and two shots ahead of Bryson DeChambeau and Brian Harman.

Year	Player	Score	Par	Margin	Prize Money ($)	Course
2022	tbc	tbc	tbc	tbc	15,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2021	Justin Thomas	274	-14	1 stroke	15,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2020	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	15,000,000	n/a
2019	Rory McIlroy	272	−16	1 stroke	12,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2018	Webb Simpson	270	−18	4 strokes	11,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2017	Kim Si-woo	278	−10	3 strokes	10,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2016	Jason Day	273	−15	4 strokes	10,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2015	Rickie Fowler	276	−12	Playoff	10,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2014	Martin Kaymer	275	−13	1 stroke	10,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2013	Tiger Woods (2)	275	−13	2 strokes	9,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2012	Matt Kuchar	275	−13	2 strokes	9,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2011	K. J. Choi	275	−13	Playoff	9,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2010	Tim Clark	272	−16	1 stroke	9,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2009	Henrik Stenson	276	−12	4 strokes	9,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2008	Sergio García	283	−5	Playoff	9,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2007	Phil Mickelson	277	−11	2 strokes	9,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2006	Stephen Ames	274	−14	6 strokes	8,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2005	Fred Funk	279	−9	1 stroke	8,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2004	Adam Scott	276	−12	1 stroke	8,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2003	Davis Love III (2)	271	−17	6 strokes	6,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
2002	Craig Perks	280	−8	2 strokes	6,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2001	Tiger Woods	274	−14	1 stroke	6,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
2000	Hal Sutton (2)	278	−10	1 stroke	6,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
1999	David Duval	285	−3	2 strokes	5,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
1998	Justin Leonard	278	−10	2 strokes	4,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
1997	Steve Elkington (2)	272	−16	7 strokes	3,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
1996	Fred Couples (2)	270	−18	4 strokes	3,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
1995	Lee Janzen	283	−5	1 stroke	3,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
1994	Greg Norman	264	−24	4 strokes	2,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
1993	Nick Price	270	−18	5 strokes	2,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
1992	Davis Love III	273	−15	4 strokes	1,800,000	TPC Sawgrass
1991	Steve Elkington	276	−12	1 stroke	1,600,000	TPC Sawgrass
1990	Jodie Mudd	278	−10	1 stroke	1,500,000	TPC Sawgrass
1989	Tom Kite	279	−9	1 stroke	1,350,000	TPC Sawgrass
1988	Mark McCumber	273	−15	4 strokes	1,250,000	TPC Sawgrass
1987	Sandy Lyle	274	−14	Playoff	1,000,000	TPC Sawgrass
1986	John Mahaffey	275	−13	1 stroke	900,000	TPC Sawgrass
1985	Calvin Peete	274	−14	3 strokes	900,000	TPC Sawgrass
1984	Fred Couples	277	−11	1 stroke	800,000	TPC Sawgrass
1983	Hal Sutton	283	−5	1 stroke	700,000	TPC Sawgrass
1982	Jerry Pate	280	−8	2 strokes	500,000	TPC Sawgrass
1981	Raymond Floyd	285	−3	Playoff	440,000	Sawgrass CC
1980	Lee Trevino	278	−10	1 stroke	440,000	Sawgrass CC
1979	Lanny Wadkins	283	−5	5 strokes	440,000	Sawgrass CC
1978	Jack Nicklaus (3)	289	1	1 stroke	300,000	Sawgrass CC
1977	Mark Hayes	289	1	2 strokes	300,000	Sawgrass CC
1976	Jack Nicklaus (2)	269	−19	3 strokes	300,000	Inverrary CC
1975	Al Geiberger	270	−10	3 strokes	250,000	Colonial CC
1974	Jack Nicklaus	272	−16	2 strokes	250,000	Atlanta CC

Multiple Winners

Only six players have won the Players Championship more than once:

Player	Wins	Years
Jack Nicklaus	3	1974, 1976, 1978
Fred Couples	2	1984, 1996
Steve Elkington	2	1991, 1997
Hal Sutton	2	1983, 2000
Davis Love III	2	1992, 2003
Tiger Woods	2	2001, 2013

Nicklaus won at three different venues but never at the Stadium Course where the other winners won their titles.

Players Championship History

The Players Championship began in 1974 at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia. The tournament moved to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and the Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill, Florida in 1976.

In 1977 the PGA Tour agreed to move the Players Championship to Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach. Since 1982 the tournament has been played at the Stadium Course at TPC at Sawgrass in Florida.

In 2007 the Players Championship was moved to May from late March, part of a restructuring of the PGA Tour that saw the FedEx Cup established which concluded with The Tour Championship.

The switch enabled the PGA Tour to have a marquee event in six consecutive months (The Masters in April, The Players Championship in May, the US Open in June, The Open Championship in July, the PGA Championship in August, and the Tour Championship in September).

In 2019 the Players Championship returned to March and the PGA Championship switched from August to May.

The Players Championship has never seen a player win in consecutive years. Jack Nicklaus won three of the first five tournaments and since moving to TPC Sawgrass in 1982 five players have won twice, the shortest span between victories being six years.

The 2020 Players Championship was scheduled to be held from 12-15 March but was canceled by the PGA Tour after day one due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The tour had announced that the tournament would proceed behind closed doors for the remaining three days but decided it was in the best interest of the players and everyone involved if the tournament was canceled.

Players Championship Golf Winners FAQ

When did the Players Championship start?

The Players Championship began in 1974

Who won the first Players Championship?

Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural Players Championship in 1974 and went on to win two more titles in 1976 and 1978.

Who has won the most Players Championships?

Jack Nicklaus has won the most Players Championships with three titles in 1974, 1976 and 1978. He never won at the Stadium Course at TPC at Sawgrass which has hosted the tournament since 1982.