TPC Sawgrass’s iconic stadium course is about to host golf’s unofficial “fifth major,” but several notable players won’t be teeing it up at the 2025 Players Championship. While the tournament boasts a stellar field featuring most of the world’s top golfers competing for the enormous purse, the absence of certain players has left fans wondering about the reasons behind these missing stars.
From injury concerns to qualification issues, here’s a look at the five biggest names who won’t be challenging at the infamous island green this year for various reasons.
1. Tiger Woods
The 15-time major champion’s absence from the Players Championship is perhaps the most notable. Despite being eligible through his 2019 Masters victory, Woods has opted out of the tournament, citing personal reasons following his mother Kultida’s recent passing. “My heart is not into practicing right now,” Woods explained, revealing the emotional toll of this personal loss.
This decision comes at a significant moment as his eligibility for the 2019 Masters expires after this year’s Players Championship. Interestingly, Woods’ physical condition appears to be improving following his September 2024 microdecompression surgery on the lumbar spine. At the recent Seminole Pro-Member event, he showed promising signs, with NBC analyst Brad Faxon reporting that “Tiger drove it out there with Keegan on every shot. He walked all 18 holes. He’s certainly in condition to play… Tiger’s walking without that pronounced limp we saw at St. Andrews in ’24.” Woods remains golf’s biggest star despite his limited competitive schedule, making his absence a significant loss for the tournament.
THE PLAYERS Championship is the first of five events this season offering 750 FedExCup points to the winner.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler seeks to join Jack Nicklaus (1974, 1976, 1978) as the only three-time winners of THE PLAYERS Championship and become the first to win the… pic.twitter.com/fUyWFebpvo
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) March 7, 2025
2. Alex Noren
The former top-10 player in the world has been showing solid form recently, with multiple top-10 finishes, including a T9 at the Cognizant Classic and a 3rd place at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Despite his solid recent performances and OWGR ranking of #60, Noren will miss this year’s Players Championship due to a lingering neck injury that has disrupted his season since early January, when he first withdrew from the PGA Tour season opener in Kapalua.
The Swedish golfer has been consistent throughout the 2024-2025 season, ranking 40th in Strokes Gained: Total and 27th in scoring average on the PGA Tour. His strong short game (Top-20 in SG: Around-the-Green and Putting) makes his absence particularly unfortunate for fans of precision golf.
3. Thorbjorn Olesen
Despite his impressive form on the DP World Tour, including a dominant six-stroke victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in January 2024, Olesen wasn’t able to secure a spot in the Players Championship field. The Danish golfer finished 13th in the 2024 DP World Tour season-long standings, earning dual-membership status for the PGA Tour in 2025.
However, Olesen’s limited PGA Tour appearances haven’t yielded strong enough results to qualify for the flagship event. With a T49 at the Mexico Open and a missed cut at the Cognizant Classic, his transition to the American tour has been slower than his European success might suggest. Despite his OWGR ranking of #84 and seven DP World Tour victories, he’ll be watching from home.
4. Matt Wallace
The four-time European Tour winner has shown flashes of brilliance, including a remarkable round of 60 at the DP World Tour Championship, where he birdied every hole on the back nine. Wallace secured a PGA Tour victory in Punta Cana in March 2023, granting him a full exemption for the 2025 season, and has had some decent showings, with a T10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last year.
May 2, 2024; McKinney, Texas, USA; Matt Wallace plays his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
However, Wallace’s PGA Tour results have been inconsistent, preventing him from qualifying for the Players Championship. His most recent performances reflect this inconsistency—a T44 at the WM Phoenix Open and an average finish around mid-field (approximately 37th) in recent events. While his putting skills have been strong (ranking 57th in Strokes Gained: Putting), his driving accuracy remains a significant challenge (ranking 162nd in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee). The Englishman’s absence highlights the difficulty of maintaining consistent form across multiple tours, especially when transitioning between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour circuits.
5. Brendon Todd
Despite being eligible for the Players Championship, Todd chose not to commit to the tournament. The three-time PGA Tour winner has struggled with inconsistent tee-to-green performance recently, ranking 166th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and 164th in Strokes Gained: Approach.
Todd’s remarkable comeback story makes his absence particularly notable. He’s been hampered by limited driving distance (averaging 279.8 yards, ranking 184th on tour) and recent tournament struggles, including finishing last (144th) at the Cognizant Classic. His traditionally strong putting has also been less consistent lately, contributing to his decision to skip the prestigious event.
As the Players Championship tees off without these notable names, fans will be left wondering what might have been, particularly for Woods, whose emotional absence reminds us that even golf’s biggest stars face very human challenges off the course.
The post 5 Biggest Names Missing from the 2025 PLAYERS Championship Field, Ranked appeared first on EssentiallySports.
