How did Danny Walker get into the Players Championship? All you need to know about the PGA Tour rookie

Danny Walker got into The Players Championship after Jason Day withdrew from the event at the last moment. The PGA Tour rookie found himself in a featured group alongside prominent names like Jordan Spieth and Wyndham Clark.

He began the week as an alternate and wasn't expecting to get a chance to compete until he got a call while he was in the locker room. Day withdrew from the event due to illness, which gave Walker his first chance to compete in a signature event.

“I wasn't really expecting to get in," Danny Walker said via PGA Tour. "Like I made sure I was prepared to, but I wasn't really expecting it either. To have to go play with two major champions as well, that was like, 'Oh, like we're here.'"

The 29-year-old golfer worked hard in the first two rounds and made the cut on the cutline at -1. However, he showcased his prowess in the third round as he carded a 66 to move into contention going into the final round of the Players Championship.

He was placed T8 going into the final round, and at one stage in the final round, after 13 holes, Danny Walker was three shots behind the leader Rory McIlroy. However, eventually, he finished T6 for the event and remained -9 and two shots behind the leaders Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun.

Danny Walker at THE PLAYERS Championship 2025 - Source: Getty

Before the Players Championship, Walker had competed in just six PGA Tour events. The 2025 PGA Tour is his first full season, as he received a tour card this year after competing on the Korn Ferry Tour. He finished 28th in the season-long standings and earned a PGA Tour card via the top 30 ranked golfers on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Walker grew up in Florida before going to college in Virginia, where he enjoyed an impressive college career before turning pro in 2018.

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Danny Walker on his experience of competing in the Players Championship 2025

Danny Walker had an incredible outing this week at the TPC Sawgrass as he earned $843,750.00, coming in as a replacement for Jason Day. In the post-round press conference, Walker summed up his final day.

"Exciting, I think, would be the simplest way to characterize it. It was a lot of fun. That's the position you want to be in, just having a chance to win a big event like this. Had a lot of fun. Overall I think played well and handled it well. No regrets out there for sure," Walker said.

Continuing further, he talked about if he was surprised, looking at how well he handled the pressure from day one.

"I wouldn't say so, no," Walker said. "I feel like my mental game is pretty good. I had a little bit of exposure to that at Farmers on Saturday playing in the last group with Ludvig. I think that kind of helped prepare me for this week a little bit. I felt a little bit more comfortable with that whole atmosphere."

Danny Walker's previous best finish on the PGA Tour came at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, where he finished T13 for the event.