Players Championship newcomer has shot to join select group in final round

Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

15 March 2026 at 19:42

The Players Championship, golf’s unofficial “fifth major,” is primed for an exciting finish Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.

Swedish pro Ludvig Aberg stands at 13-under par, three shots clear of the field, as he chases the biggest win of his career.

Meanwhile, sitting alone in second place is 24-year-old American Michael Thorbjornsen, who is making his debut at The Players Championship.

MORE: PGA Tour video shows how amateurs fare at TPC Sawgrass No. 17 island green

According to Golf Digest, Thorbjornsen has a chance to join a small group of pros if he wins on Sunday.

“Contending in your Players debut is rare,” Golf Digest’s Joel Beall wrote. “In 52 years, only Hal Sutton and Craig Perks have managed it, names that now occupy a very specific and exclusive ledger.”

Sutton won the first of his two Players Championship titles in 1983 on the way to winning the money title and player of the year honors. Perks claimed the 2002 Players, his only PGA Tour win, when he covered the final three holes in nine strokes — and just one putt.

Ultimately, it comes as no surprise Thorbjornsen has felt right at home at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course. He and Aberg call TPC their home course.

Michael Thorbjornsen plays his tee shot to the 17th hole during the third round of The Players Championship. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images

Thorbjornsen’s hometown is Wellesley, Massachusetts, but he lives about 15 miles from the course and practices there regularly. Thorbjornsen played collegiate golf for the Stanford Cardinal, while Aberg competed for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

“He’s a great guy. I love playing golf with him,” Thorbjornsen said of Aberg, per Golf Digest. “He was one of the guys in college that I looked up to, even though he’s only one year older than me. Very solid, very solid player.”

The final round of The Players Championship will be televised on NBC and Peacock beginning at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.