9 Perks Of Winning The Players Championship

The Players Championship has long been considered the unofficial ‘fifth Major Championship’ in the men’s game. Many of the game’s best-ever players have won this prestigious event, including the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd, Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus. Claim this trophy and your name will appear alongside some true greats of the game.

Of course, winning a tournament of this stature also has a number of other perks. Here’s what awaits the winner of the 2024 Players Championship. 

1. Prize Money

The players competing in the 2024 Players Championship can look forward to a lucrative payday should they put in a decent week, for the purse stands at an eye-watering $25 million. The winner will receive a whopping $4.5 million, a sum that Scottie Scheffler took home last year. 

2. The Trophy

Of course, it’s the trophy that really matters – and it must be said, the current Players Championship trophy is a real beauty. Crafted by Tiffany & Co. since 2019, the sterling silver and 24k gold vermeil Players Championship trophy stands 17 inches tall and weighs approximately eight pounds.

3. Parking

One of the perks of winning the Players Championship is that you get your own car parking spot at TPC properties. Returning champion Scheffler will be able to cruise up and pull straight into his space. Cameron Smith had his own space after winning the flagship event in 2022, but that was taken away when he joined LIV Golf.

4. FedExCup Points

The winner of the Players Championship will receive 750 FedExCup points, which will put them in a very handy position early on in the season-long race. This is the same number of points players receive for winning a Major Championship. Prior to entering the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August, PGA Tour events carry between 300 and 750 FedExCup points. In other words, other than the Playoff events, no tournament offers more than 750 points. 

5. Players Championship Exemption

Winning at TPC Sawgrass will open up doors for a good while. So far as this tournament goes, the winner will receive a five-year exemption, a nice perk should someone find that they lose form during that period. 

6. PGA Tour Card

One of the biggest benefits of winning the Players Championship is peace of mind – not just the fact that you can afford to pay off the mortgage; the winner can also relax a little knowing that their PGA Tour card is secured for five years. Again, this is a huge perk that means a player can afford to lose a bit of form without the worry of having to go through the gruelling process of regaining it.

7. A Locker

Now this is cool. Forget the huge payday, winning players at Sawgrass get something that money can’t buy: your own locker in the player’s locker room.  Serious bragging rights.

8. Hawaii

The winner can also look forward to starting 2025 in Hawaii, which had its own mammoth purse this year – $20 million. The Sentry is one of eight Signature Events, which features a smaller field and very attractive prize money.

9. Major Exemptions

It's quite often the case that the winner doesn't have to worry about qualifying for Major Championships, given that they'll often be right up their in the Official World Golf Ranking. However, who knows what's around the corner? Win the Players Championship and you're guaranteed a spot at The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open for three years (including the current year).