The Players Championship has long been considered the unofficial ‘fifth Major Championship’ in the men’s game.
Many of the game’s best-ever players have won this prestigious event, including the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd, Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus. Claim this trophy and your name will appear alongside some true greats of the sport.
Of course, winning a tournament of this stature also has a number of other perks including prize money, Major exemptions, world ranking points and much more.
Here’s what awaits this year's champion...
1. Prize Money
The Players Championship purse stands at an eye-watering $25 million - the largest for a single golf tournament.
Rory McIlroy won a huge $4.5 million in 2025, which was (and remains) his biggest ever tournament win outside of any FedEx Cup bonuses.
That number is larger than the first prize in all four men's Majors last year as well as all eight PGA Tour Signature Events.
2. The Trophy
Of course, it’s the trophy that really matters – and it must be said, the current Players Championship trophy is a real beauty.
Crafted by Tiffany & Co. since 2019, the sterling silver and 24k gold vermeil Players Championship trophy stands 17 inches tall and weighs approximately eight pounds.
The golfer pictured is standing on the island-green 17th and is a mix of the 38 different winners of The Players at the time of design from Jack Nicklaus in 1974 to Webb Simpson in 2018. It was made using a process of 'electroforming' and 3D-printing.
It inspired the infamous 'gold man' animated clips that were a hit on social media, with the gold trophy brought to life and seen hitting various famous shots at TPC Sawgrass.
3. FedExCup Points
The champion receives 750 FedExCup points, which is the same amount as a Major win.
Prior to entering the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August, PGA Tour events carry between 300 and 750 FedExCup points. In other words, aside from the Playoff events, no tournament offers more than 750 points to the champion.
4. World ranking points
The Players Championship features a super-strong field and with that comes huge world ranking points.
The champion collects 80 OWGR points, which is the second-highest number you can win in the game.
Major winners earn 100 points, while PGA Tour Signature Events give around 70 to the winner. Standard PGA Tour events usually offer between 20-50 points depending on field strength.
5. Players Championship Exemption
Winning at TPC Sawgrass will open up doors for a good while, with the champion earning a five-year exemption into the tournament.
6. PGA Tour Card
One of the biggest benefits of winning the Players Championship is peace of mind – not just the fact that you can afford to pay off the mortgage; the winner can also relax a little knowing that their PGA Tour card is secured for five years.
7. Major Exemptions
It's quite often the case that the winner doesn't have to worry about qualifying for Major Championships, given that they'll often be right up there in the Official World Golf Ranking.
However, who knows what's around the corner? Win the Players Championship and you're guaranteed a spot at The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open for three years (including the current year) - which is a guaranteed 12 Major starts.
8. A Locker
Now this is cool.
Forget the huge payday, winning players at Sawgrass get something that money can’t buy: your own locker in TPC Sawgrass’ Champions' Locker Room. Serious bragging rights.
9. Presidents Cup points
It’s a Presidents Cup year in 2026, where the USA will be heavy favorites to again defend the cup vs the Internationals at Medinah in September.
For players eligible for either team, The Players Championship offers one of the best ways to boost their chances of automatic qualification.
The top six in the respective team standings qualify automatically, with the US positions determined by FedEx Cup points earned between the 2025 Sentry and the 2026 BMW Championship.
Some PGA Tour events offer one Presidents Cup point per FedEx Cup point gained, while others hand out 1.5 points for every FedEx Cup point accumulated.
However, The Players, like the Majors, awards two points for each FedEx Cup point banked, meaning the winner will claim 1,500.
For the Internationals, it’s slightly different, with world ranking points the all-important factor, and the 80 points go a long way to helping an eligible winner qualify.
10. Parking
One of the perks of winning the Players Championship is that you get your own car parking spot at TPC properties, so you can cruise up and pull straight into your space and remind yourself of your glory.
Cameron Smith had his own spot after winning the flagship event in 2022, but that was taken away when he joined LIV Golf.
