Are LIV Golfers playing at The Players Championship 2025? Eligibility explored

The Players Championship is a PGA Tour event. Often dubbed men’s golf’s ‘fifth major’, it is a flagship event contested by the circuit’s big names. The event at TPC Sawgrass this year will see a whopping 48 of the world’s top 50-ranked golfers competing. However, LIV Golfers remain banned from playing in the event.

For the unversed, golfers who jumped ships from the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf are banned from partaking in any event run by the American circuit. Notably, the Saudi-backed circuit players are allowed to compete at all four major championships, including the Masters. However, The Players Championship does not allow names from the breakaway tour roster to compete as it remains a signature event of the PGA.

It is pertinent to note that the restrictions are expected to continue until a deal for the ‘reunification’ of men’s golf is made by the PGA and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns LIV Golf. Owing to the existing rules, reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, and former Masters champion Jon Rahm, among others, can only spectate the event.

The Players Championship’s 2022 champion Cameron Smith, 2014 champ Martin Kaymer, 2008 winner Sergio Garcia and 2007 winner Phil Mickelson are among other LIV Golfers who sit the PGA Tour contest out.

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Who is playing in The Players Championship 2025?

The Players Championship 2025 will see a stacked 144-player field, including 48 of the world's top 50 golfers, compete for a whopping $25,000,000 prize purse. The event is being headlined by the likes of two-time defending champion and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, alongside World No.2 Rory McIlroy and No.3 Xander Schauffele.

Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland, USA Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, and 2021 champion Justin Thomas are among other big names to watch at TPC Sawgrass this weekend. It is pertinent to note that Tiger Woods will sit out of the contest due to injury.

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Listed below is the complete player field for The Players Championship 2025:

• Byeong Hun An
• Ludvig Aberg
• Daniel Berger
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout
• Akshay Bhatia
• Keegan Bradley
• Jacob Bridgeman
• Sam Burns
• Brian Campbell
• Rafael Campos
• Laurie Canter
• Patrick Cantlay
• Frankie Capan III
• Bud Cauley
• Will Chandler
• Wyndham Clark
• Eric Cole
• Corey Conners
• Joel Dahmen
• Cam Davis
• Jason Day
• Thomas Detry
• Nick Dunlap
• Nico Echavarria
• Austin Eckroat
• Harris English
• Tony Finau
• Patrick Fishburn
• Matt Fitzpatrick
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Rickie Fowler
• Ryan Fox
• Brice Garnett
• Doug Ghim
• Ryan Gerard
• Lucas Glover
• Will Gordon
• Chris Gotterup
• Max Greyserman
• Ben Griffin
• Lanto Griffin
• Emiliano Grillo
• Adam Hadwin
• Harry Hall
• Brian Harman
• Russell Henley
• Joe Highsmith
• Ryo Hisatsune
• Lee Hodges
• Rico Hoey
• Charley Hoffman
• Tom Hoge
• Nicolai Hojgaard
• Rasmus Hojgaard
• Max Homa
• Billy Horschel
• Beau Hossler
• Viktor Hovland
• Mark Hubbard
• Mackenzie Hughes
• Sungjae Im
• Stephan Jaeger
• Chan Kim
• Michael Kim
• Si Woo Kim
• Tom Kim
• Chris Kirk
• Kurt Kitayama
• Patton Kizzire
• Jake Knapp
• Ben Kohles
• Matt Kuchar
• Nate Lashley
• K.H Lee
• Min Woo Lee
• David Lipsky
• Luke List
• Justin Lower
• Shane Lowry
• Robert MacIntyre
• Peter Malnati
• Hideki Matsuyama
• Denny McCarthy
• Matt McCarty
• Rory McIlroy
• Maverick McNealy
• Mac Meissner
• Keith Mitchell
• Taylor Moore
• Collin Morikawa
• Trey Mullinax
• Alex Noren
• Henrik Norlander
• Andrew Novak
• C.T Pan
• Matthieu Pavon
• Taylor Pendrith
• Victor Perez
• Chandler Phillips
• J.T Poston
• Aldrich Potgeiter
• Seamus Power
• Andrew Putnam
• Aaron Rai
• Chad Ramey
• Davis Riley
• Patrick Rodgers
• Justin Rose
• Kevin Roy
• Sam Ryder
• Isaiah Salinda
• Xander Schauffele
• Scottie Scheffler
• Adam Schenk
• Matti Schmid
• Adam Scott
• Greyson Sigg
• Ben Silverman
• David Skinns
• Alex Smalley
• J.J Spaun
• Jordan Spieth
• Sam Stevens
• Sepp Straka
• Jackson Suber
• Adam Svensson
• Jesper Svensson
• Nick Taylor
• Sahith Theegala
• Justin Thomas
• Davis Thompson
• Alejandro Tosti
• Sami Valimaki
• Erik van Rooyen
• Jhonattan Vegas
• Kris Ventura
• Camilo Villegas
• Vince Whaley
• Gary Woodland
• Cameron Young
• Carson Young
• Kevin Yu
• Will Zalatoris

More details on the PGA Tour's The Players Championship 2025 will be updated as the event progresses.