It’s a huge week in the sport with The Players Championship taking place at the iconic TPC Sawgrass.
The PGA Tour’s flagship event is undoubtedly the most prestigious non-Major event in the men’s professional game, and it boasts a stacked field as always for the 2026 staging.
In truth, there really aren’t too many big names missing from the field this week with 19 of the world’s top 20 playing and 46 of the top 50. Some high-profile LIV Golfers are not eligible due to being suspended, while some multiple PGA Tour winners haven’t qualified after either losing form or struggling with injuries.
So, here are some of the top names missing The Players as well as a look at the alternates list and those who have not qualified from the world’s top 150:
Tiger Woods
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Tiger Woods teased that he’ll be playing in The Masters when he confirmed with a smile that an Augusta return is not off the table.
The legendary 15-time Major winner is back hitting full shots after his seventh back surgery in October, but he will not be playing at TPC Sawgrass this week.
He isn’t actually qualified for the tournament, so even if he is fully fit he isn’t able to get a tee time anyway.
Woods won here in 2001 and 2013 but hasn’t competed in The Players since 2019 and he’s actually only played it three times since he won 13 years ago.
Patrick Reed
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Patrick Reed has been lighting it up on the DP World Tour since leaving LIV Golf, and the Texan is the highest-ranked player in the world not in the field this week.
Reed sits 20th in the Official World Golf Ranking after wins in Dubai and Qatar, and he’ll be back next year for the first time since 2022 after all-but securing his PGA Tour card for 2027 already.
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
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Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen is the highest-ranked PGA Tour member not in the field this week, with only the top-ranked DPWT player from 2025 – Marco Penge – qualifying.
The Dane, who won the Australian Open in December, sits 63rd in the world but has not been able to make his way into The Players Championship.
Neergaard-Petersen earned his tour card via the DP World Tour top 10…
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