Players Championship Predictions 2017: Power Ranking Top 10 for TPC Sawgrass

If you want to get a golf fan riled up, tell them that the Players Championship is the PGA Tour's fifth major. Some don't mind the Players being referred to as such, but the other--and far louder--side of the debate will tell you in a variety of different ways that you're the worst person on Earth for even suggesting such a thing. There are four majors a year, and that's that.

Nevertheless, no matter how you feel about that particular conversation, one thing is clear. The Players is a big tournament. The purse--$10.5 million, with nearly $2 million going to the winner--is no longer the most lucrative in all of golf with news of the U.S. Open upping its prize pool to $12 million, but it's still more than the other majors. Then there's the strength of the field. The Top 24 players in the world will all be competing at the famous TPC Sawgrass, while 48 of the Top 50--Brandt Snedeker and Thomas Pieters being the only exceptions--will be in action.

It may not be the fifth major, and that's fine, but it's the perfect tournament to get casual fans excited during the two-month stretch in between the Masters and the US Open. And what's more, after Dustin Johnson was forced to miss the Masters with a back injury, it's the first time this year we get to see the World No. 1 take on a tourney of this stature (the WGC-Mexico was close, though the field wasn't quite this strong). In fact, it's the first tournament this season that will feature all of the world's Top 5: Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama and Jordan Spieth.

There are ultimately dozens of players who have what it takes to win next weekend, and you can click through the gallery for my Top 10 contenders. (Getty)

1. Dustin Johnson

Best Finish: T28 (2016)

Guess his back is feeling OK. In his first tournament after a month layoff due to an injury that forced him to miss the Masters, DJ was the clubhouse leader on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship up until Brian Harman nailed a 28-foot putt to grab the win. Though Johnson "only" finished tied for second, he proved that he's perfectly healthy. And that's all that's important.

The World No. 1 has been historically mediocre at the Players with zero Top-25's in eight starts, but someone who tallies five Top-10's in a row--and when he wins three straight in the middle of that--has to be the No. 1 favorite. That's a rule. (Getty)

2. Rory McIlroy

Best Finish: 6th (2014)

It's safe to say Rory has figured out TPC Sawgrass. After missing the cut in his first three starts here, he has finished eighth, sixth, eighth and 12th in the last four years. It's only a matter of time before he gets a win here, and he's certainly playing well enough for it to happen this year, as he has been racking up Top-10's in big tournaments (T7 at WGC-Mexico, T4 at the Arnold Palmer, T7 at the Masters) since returning from a rib injury in March.

As always with Rory, his tee-to-green game is unparalleled when he's locked in. If he's even average with his putter, he should be right in the thick of contention come Sunday afternoon. (Getty)

3. Sergio Garcia

Best Finish: Win (2008)

The last time we saw Sergio he was putting on the Green Jacket at Augusta after finally erasing his major demons. We've seen with Danny Willett that the Masters Hangover is real and not very spectacular, but that shouldn't happen with Garcia. He's playing the best golf his career (in addition to his Masters win, he has another victory and six Top-20's this season), and in 17 career starts at TPC Sawgrass, he has made 15 cuts, racked up six Top-10's (three of which have come in the last four years, including a playoff loss in 2015) and won in 2008.

Red-hot form plus beautiful course history earns him a spot in the Top 3. (Getty)

4. Jon Rahm

Best Finish: Debut

Ho-hum. Another tournament, another Sunday with Rahm on the leaderboard. His Top-10 (fourth) finish at the Wells Fargo Championship is the sixth such finish in his last eight starts, with the only exceptions being a T16 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and a T27 at the Masters.

This will be his first start at the Players, but he's been making his debut at most tournaments this year, and it hasn't mattered one bit. He's second on Tour in strokes gained to green, fourth in scoring average and has elevated into a legitimate star at just 22 years old. (Getty)

5. Jordan Spieth

Best Finish: 4th (2014)

Spieth finished fourth in his debut here in 2014, but he's followed that up with missed cuts in the last two years. Still, there's only so far you can drop him down the rankings. Outside of his missed cut at the Shell Houston Open in early April, he has finished inside the Top 25 in all eight of his other full-field events (so, not counting the WGC-Match Play), including a T11 at the Masters. That's remarkable consistency.

Moreover, on a Pete Dye-designed course where accuracy is favored over distance, Spieth's middle game makes him an obvious choice, as he ranks first on Tour in strokes gained approaching the green and second in GIR percentage. Spieth being ranked fifth is a indication of how strong this field is at the top. (Getty)

6. Rickie Fowler

Best Finish: Win (2015)

Fowler has been all over the place at this tournament, with four missed cuts (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016) and a 77th-place finish (2014), but also a win (2015) and a runner-up (2012). Still, with the way he's playing right now, it's safe to assume he'll be closer to those latter numbers in 2017.

He and Jason Day missed the cut at the Zurich Classic in his last start, but you shouldn't put much stock into that unique team-format event. That's especially the case because Fowler's previous six starts all produced Top-16 finishes, including a win at the Honda Classic and a T11 at the Masters. (Getty)

7. Jason Day

Best Finish: Win (2016)

It's been a tough season for the former No. 1. As we just mentioned, his missed cut with Fowler at the Zurich Classic shouldn't be held against him, but he had a bad opening two rounds at the Masters that pretty much brought him out of contention (he ended up finishing 22nd), and before that, he struggled with consistency as he dealt with the news of his mother being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Nevertheless, this is a good spot for him to get back on track. Though he has missed three cuts at this challenging course, he's also the defending champ with two other Top-20 finishes. Moreover, he's second behind only Rory McIlroy in strokes gained on less-than-driver courses and first in strokes gained on Pete Dye courses since 2013-14. (Getty)

8. Hideki Matsuyama

Best Finish: 7th (2016)

In 2014, Matsuyama finished 24th in his Players debut. The next year, 17th. And last year, tied for seventh. That makes him one of just two players (Rory McIlroy being the other) to have a Top-25 finish at this tournament in each of the last three years.

And while Matsuyama has cooled off considerably since his scorching-hot start to this season, he did finish 11th at the Masters. Combine that with his favorable course history, and he belongs in the conversation with the favorites. (Getty)

9. Justin Rose

Best Finish: 4th (2014)

Like seemingly so many others here, Rose has mixed in some good finishes with a handful of missed cuts. Still, he has two Top-20's (fourth in 2014; 19th in 2016) in his last three starts here, and he has played very well this year with six Top-15's, four Top-10's and a near-win at the Masters. Throw in the fact that he's third on Tour in strokes gained on Pete Dye courses since 2014, and there's a lot to like about 36-year-old this week. (Getty)

10. Martin Kaymer

Best Finish: Win (2014)

Kaymer's 39th-place finish last year ran his record to eight made cuts in eight Players starts. He only has one Top-10 during that stretch, but that was a win in 2014, plus he's tied for the course record (63) and has a round average of 71.16. That's better than Sergio, Henrik Stenson and Zach Johnson, all of whom have been course horses at TPC Sawgrass.

Not only does he have perhaps the best course history of any player in this field, but Kaymer comes in playing well, having made every cut this season and finishing 16th at the Masters. His upside (just one Top-10 this year) may not be quite as high as the other players on this list, but he still deserves recognition. (Getty)