The 2026 Players Championship begins on Thursday morning with the first round at s The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Thursday, including complete The Players Championship TV coverage, broadcast details and Round 1 match times.
How to watch The Players Championship on Thursday
Only six players have won two Players Championship titles at the Stadium’s historic TPC Sawgrass course since the tournament moved there permanently in 1982. No one has won it three times at TPC Sawgrass.
This week, world no Scottie Scheffler will try to become the first. Scheffler won back-to-back Players Championships at 2023 AND 2024then it was seen as Rory McIlroy ruined his chance for a three-peat last year.
But now Scheffler has a chance to add a third Players title in four years, a feat no other player has accomplished. The four-time major winner won in his first start of the season this year, but a victory this week would make him the heavy favorite to capture his third Masters title a month from now.
Rory McIlroyon the other hand, it will do one The “game time” decision to play or not on Thursday. A back injury could force McIlroy to retire.
Scheffler will take his Players campaign started early on Thursdayheading off for the opening round at 8:52 a.m. ET.
You can watch the first round of The Players Championship on TV on Golf Channel beginning at 1:00 PM ET on Thursday. PGA Tour live on ESPN+ will offer exclusive broadcast coverage beginning Thursday at 7:30 a.m. ET, as well as feature coverage with featured sets and slots throughout the day on Thursday.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know to watch the first round of The Players Championship 2026.
Get ESPN+
With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from anywhere you want.
How to watch Thursday on TV
Golf Channel will provide televised coverage of the first round of the 2026 Players Championship on Thursday from 1-7pm ET.
How to stream online on Thursday
You can stream the first round of The Players Championship 2026 via PGA Tour live on ESPN+which will offer broadcast coverage beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, in addition to coverage of the featured sets and holes.
2026 Players Championship in the first round of groups (ET)
Tea no. 1
7:40 – Mark Hubbard, Thorbjørn Olesen, Mac Meissner
07:52 – Bud Cauley, Vince Whaley, Chandler Phillips
08:04 – Emiliano Grillo, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Max Grayserman
08:16 – Kevin Yu, Cam Davis, Gary Woodland
08:28 – Ricky Castillo, Ryan Gerard, Patrick Cantlay
08:40 – Adam Schenk, Garrick Higgo, Matt McCarty
08:52 – Brian Harman, Maverick McNealy, Davis Riley
09:04 – Sami Valimaki, Lucas Glover, Matt Fitzpatrick
09:16 – Michael Brennan, Harris English, JT Poston
9:28 – Haotong Li, Zecheng Dou, Jordan Smith
12:30pm – Lee Hodges, Andrew Putnam, Sam Stevens
12:42pm – Erik van Rooyen, Keith Mitchell, Michael Kim
12:54pm – Taylor Moore, Joel Dahmen, Ryo Hisatsune
1:06pm – Jacob Bridgeman, Ben Griffin, Adam Scott
13:18 – JJ Spaun, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry
1:30pm – Sahith Theegala, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth
1:42pm – Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama
1:54pm – Chris Gotterup, Justin Rose, Min Woo Lee
2:06 pm – Brian Campbell, Karl Vilips, Aaron Rai
14:18 – Matti Schmid, Max McGreevy, Takumi Kanaya
2:30pm – Zach Bauchou, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, AJ Ewart
