The PGA Tour's flagship had a final round befitting of its lofty status as Cameron Young went toe to toe with Matt Fitzpatrick before claiming the title by one.
At the start of the day, neither player appeared to have more than a half-chance of victory, with Ludvig Aberg leading Michael Thorbjornsen by three, Young in third and four back and Fitzpatrick five adrift at eight under.
Thorbjornsen's challenge was all but over as early as the fourth with a disastrous quadruple bogey, and he eventually placed T22.
However, Aberg began steadily enough, keeping the chasing pack, which also included the likes of Robert MacIntyre, Xander Schauffele and Sepp Straka, at bay over the opening holes.
After 10 holes, Aberg still led by two after one birdie and a bogey saw him at even par for the round, before the first real sign of faltering came at the par-5 11th, when he sent his second shot into the lake in front of the green.
It resulted in a bogey, and when Fitzpatrick made a birdie at the 12th, the two were tied at 12 under.
Aberg's day soon got considerably worse when, on the 13th, he found the water again, this time off the tee, leading to a double bogey.
Fitzpatrick made his second consecutive birdie at the 13th, and suddenly, from bearing down on his maiden Players Championship title, Aberg was three behind.
By that point, Young had gone into second with his own birdie at the 13th, too.
On the next hole, Young drew level with his playing partner when he made par after Fitzpatrick's long par putt failed to drop.
The nip-and-tuck nature of events continued at the 15th, and this time it was Fitzpatrick's turn to strike a blow. Bidding to become the first Englishman to win the TPC Sawgrass tournament, he made a birdie to take a one-shot lead as Young managed par.
At the 16th, both players got away with pars despite finding issues on the approach - Fitzpatrick with a visit to the pinestraw left of the fairway and Young a greenside bunker.
As well as the enormity of the occasion, wind was also becoming a factor, something each player would have been acutely aware of as they approached the 17th and its notorious island green.
Both did well to find the center of the green, but crucially, Young's tee shot got closer, and after Fitzpatrick failed to convert his long birdie chance, Young made no mistake, rolling in a perfectly judged putt to head to the 18th tied for the lead with his opponent.
After Young sent a monster tee shot into the middle of the fairway, the pressure was on Fitzpatrick, and he couldn't overcome it, missing the fairway right before settling for a chip onto the fairway and leaving a tricky up and down in front of the green to save par.
Young's approach, meanwhile, was more productive, finding the fringe at the back of the green.
Fitzpatrick's third left him with eight feet to keep his hopes alive, but when Young took out his putter and rolled his birdie chance to tap-in range, it was now or never for the Englishman.
He couldn't convert his par putt, leaving Young to complete the formality of his four, and the title was his.
It's Young's second PGA Tour win in a little over seven months after his maiden title came at the 2025 Wyndham Championship - his 94th start on the circuit.
Following his TPC Sawgrass win, Young, who also starred for the US at the Ryder Cup, admitted that the first title had freed him up since.
The second win of Cameron Young's career comes at TPC Sawgrass! 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/tq6GeBwRcWMarch 15, 2026
He said: "I think it does a little bit. In some sense there's a little bit of pressure off, but the same pressure that I have put on myself since I was a kid is still there.
"So it's more a battle against that than any pressure of not winning or not winning enough. But, yeah, I mean, to have now put my name on two different tournaments, and a big one like The Players, I mean, it's incredibly special and I'm hoping that I can continue that throughout the season."
The Players Championship Leaderboard
- 1st -13 Cameron Young (68)
- 2nd -12 Matt Fitzpatrick (68)
- 3rd -11 Xander Schauffele (69)
- 4th -10 Robert MacIntyre (69)
- T5 -9 Sudarshan Yellamaraju (68)
- T5 -9 Jacob Bridgeman (70)
- T5 -9 Ludvig Aberg (76)
- T8 -8 Tommy Fleetwood (68)
- T8 -8 Sepp Straka (71)
- T8 -8 Justin Thomas (72)
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ABERG LEADS GOING INTO THE BACK NINE
We're set-up for a thrilling finale at TPC Sawgrass, where Ludvig Aberg is two clear of Robert MacIntyre, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young.
Aberg is level-par for his round, while others are making charges around him. Aberg has led since the second round, so will look to claim the biggest win of his career over the next few hours.
WELCOME!
Welcome to our coverage of the final round of The Players Championship. We're set for an enthralling final couple of hours at TPC Sawgrass, where Ludvig Aberg currently leads a group of three.
GETTING TIGHT AT TPC SAWGRASS
At the start of the day, Ludvig Aberg led by three over Michael Thorbjornsen. It's not been a good day for the challenger, though, who is now down in T15.
Instead, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young and Robert MacIntyre are his nearest rivals, two behind on 11 under.
Aberg is on the 10th and one over for the day in pursuit of his first PGA Tour title since the 2025 Genesis Invitational.
LEADER MAKES PAR AT THE 10TH
At the 10th, Aberg makes a good two-putt to get away with a par after opening the hole with a drive that went right into the thick rough..
Aberg very rarely looks anything other than in control and utterly composed, but surely the eight holes coming up will test his nerves to the limit, particuarly with three others breathing down his neck.
BRILLIANT FROM SPAUN
Shades of the 72nd hole at the US Open for JJ Spaun, who finished runner-up at The Players a year ago. He drains a 31-foot birdie putt at the 17th to move to four-under - not close to challenging the leaders, of course, but wrapping up his tournament well.
CLOSE FOR CHALLENGERS
Robert MacIntyre in T2 must have thought he had his sixth birdie of the day at the 13th with a beautifully judged putt from distance. It looks destined for the cup all the way... until it stays out, brushing the lip on its slow trickle past.
Soon after, at the 11th, Matt Fitzpatrick has a long, long eagle putt for the co-lead, but it comes up short. It'll leave a reasonable attempt at birdie though.
FRUSTRATION FOR FITZPATRICK
At the par-5 11th, Fitzpatrick lines up a birdie putt that would take him one back of Aberg. It's not a particularly long one, but it drifts left and that's a real opportunity allowed to slip by.
BIG ERROR FROM THE LEADER!
Disaster for Aberg at the 11th! His second misses the intended target by miles to find the lake in front of the green. That could really shake things up if he can't salvage a par here.
The wind was a factor in that error, and the weather is supposed to deteriorate between now and the end of play. This could be a very interesting couple of hours or so.
With his fourth, Aberg finds the green to give him a fighting chance of par. He's 16 feet from the cup.
MATT ON THE MOVE
Are the nerves finally creeping in for Ludvig Aberg? If they are, the prospect of Matt Fitzpatrick in his trail won't be helping. He'll have another excellent birdie opportunity at the 12th, after his second finds the green just two feet from the hole.
WELL DONE, SUDARSHAN
PGA Tour rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju finishes a highly creditable round of 68 with a bogey to finish with the clubhouse lead at nine under.
TIED AT THE TOP!
Fitzpatrick wraps up his birdie at the 12th, and, almost simultaneously, Aberg misses his par putt at the 11th and suddenly, we have a tie at the top.
Next, Robert MacIntye bogeys the 14th to move back to 10 under.
To tie the lead 💪@MattFitz94 gets his fourth birdie to join Ludvig Åberg at the top @THEPLAYERS.📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/VfUB2UyUAIMarch 15, 2026
ABERG FINDS WATER AGAIN!
Things are turning around quickly, as co-leader Fitzpatrick gets within feet of another birdie at the 13th, while Aberg then finds the water for the second hole running from his tee shot at the 12th.
To continue a breathless half an hour or so, Cam Young then birdies the 13th to move to 12 under and level with Aberg!
Back-to-back holes with water balls for Ludvig Åberg.Once leading today by 3, he now trails by 3.📺 NBC | @THEPLAYERS pic.twitter.com/XGMtM67nK9March 15, 2026
DOUBLE BOGEY FOR ABERG
Right behind Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young and Ludvig Aberg is Robert MacIntyre, who bounces back from a bogey at the 14th to birdie the 15th.
Meanwhile, Aberg faces a lengthy bogey putt coming back up the hill at the 12th. This is threatening to spin out of control for the Swede.
From 19 feet, his bogey shot comes up short. That'll be a double and, just like that, he's three behind leader Fitzpatrick.
ABERG ARRESTS SLIDE AT 13TH
At the 13th tee, Ludvig Aberg is trying to avoid finding the water for the third hole in a row. He manages it, but it's not the greatest shot, failing to find the green at the par-3.
His second is much, much more like it. The delicate chip onto the green gets within half a roll of a birdie. He could have done with that, but he takes a par and moves on.
CAMERON YOUNG AND MATT FITZPATRICK SHARE LEAD
Aberg may yet have some hope here, as Matt Fitzpatrick now faces a lengthy par putt at the 14th.
He's on the edge of the green, and needs this to go in. It doesn't, though. Now Cameron Young has a putt for par and in it goes!
He now shares the lead over Fitzpatrick!
SETBACK FOR MACINTYRE
Robert MacIntyre suffers a setback with a bogey at the 16th after finding the water. He's now back to 10 under. Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young lead on 12 under.
At the 18th, Sepp Straka also finds the water, and he can't recover, finishing with a double bogey to go back to eight under.
FITZPATRICK TAKES CHANCE!
At the 15th, Cameron Young has a birdie putt. He's fidgety, as most would be if they were closing in on the title. And he just misses left, leaving him looking up to the heavens.
Aberg then has a birdie putt at the 14th, but it's short.
Now Fitzpatrick at the 14th with his own birdie putt. In it goes and he's got the solo lead again!
Matt Fitzpatrick is getting closer to becoming the first Englishman to win The Players Championship!
NERVES AND CONDITIONS PLAYING A PART
The nerves are clearly kicking in for some of the challengers over the closing holes, not least overnight leader Ludvig Aberg, who is now three back of leader Fitzpatrick. But the players are also contending with increasingly blustery conditions.
Should be fun as the leaders head to the 17th!
AS IT STANDS...
So, after all that, we have Matt Fitzpatrick leading Cameron Young by one, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg and Robert MacIntyre at 10 under, three back of the lead.
Fitzpatrick and Young are now at the 16th tee box...
THE LEADER IN TROUBLE AT 16TH
Cameron Young finds the fairway with his tee shot at the 16th, but no such luck for the leader Matt Fitzpatrick, who is in the pinestraw to the left of the fairway. This will be tricky as his approach is going to be into the wind.
With 281 yards to the hole, the Englishman pitches it down the fairway to leave a lengthy third.
BRILLIANT FROM JT
At the 17th, Justin Thomas saves par brilliantly. His tee shot is exceptional. Going at the flag, his ball lands right in front of the pin, before spinning back cruelly onto the fringe. His second then travels mere inches to leave a tricky - and lengthy - par putt, but he judges it to perfection.
What a week the 2021 champion has had, in just his second start spending since four months out on the sidelines.
TROUBLE FOR CAMERON YOUNG
Indecision from Cameron Young with his approach at the 16th, and it does him no favors, as he hits a tree before the ball sails into a bunker.
At the 15th, another bogey for Ludvig Aberg drops him back to nine under.
WELL PLAYED, XANDER
Xander Schauffele's race is run, and he does it in style with three birdies in his last four holes to move to third at 11 under.
MacIntyre then makes par at the 18th to finish on 10 under. With Schauffele back in the clubhouse one ahead of him, that means his chances of winning are over.
For the clubhouse lead!@XSchauffele closes his round in style to finish 11-under @THEPLAYERS.📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/sViOor1h9yMarch 15, 2026
PARS FOR YOUNG AND FITZPATRICK AT THE 16TH
On the 16th green, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young both have long birdie putts.
Young is furthest out so goes first. Up the hill it goes and it's a beautiful read, but there's not quite enough on it and he cleans up for par.
Now Fitzpatrick. Flag in, as ever. And it doesn't trouble the hole either, going a couple of feet beyond. He gets his par too and it's as we were at the top.
Phew! Now the small matter of the island green...
GREAT STUFF AT THE 17TH
Good work from Matt Fitzpatrick with his tee shot the 17th. He piles the pressure on Cam Young, finding the center of the green. How does the American respond? By doing the same, only closer to the flag. Top, top quality play from the pair of them.
THOMAS FINISHES ON EIGHT UNDER
A good week for Justin Thomas ends with a par for a 72. He finishes on eight under.
SUPERB FROM CAMERON YOUNG!
Back to the 17th, and Matt Fitzpatrick is up first with his birdie putt. Not what you'd call east, with 30 feet to go downhill. It rolls right and that'll be a par.
Now Cameron Young's chance to tie the lead. He does it and the pair are both on 13 under going to the 18th!
ADVANTAGE YOUNG AT 18TH
Fitzpatrick and Young are at the 18th tee locked on 13 under. Young is first to go and that's a beauty, finding the fairway a day after he found the water at the same hole.
What have you got, Matt Fitzpatrick? It's further right and in the pinestraw. Advantage Young...
BEAUTIFUL FROM YOUNG AS HE TURNS SCREW
Matt Fitzpatrick is deep into the pinestraw left of the fairway but there's a gap, at least. He sends it onto the fairway and sees it run towards the green before running out of steam.
Young, from the fairway, answers spectacularly, sending his approach to the back of the green directly behind the pin.
NOT QUITE FOR YOUNG
Fitzpatrick's cross-handed chip at the third is nice, very nice, and he has a real chance of saving par. He gets a thumbs up from Cameron Young, too.
Young then takes out his putter for the chance to win it from the fringe. It misses right by a whisker!
CAMERON YOUNG WINS THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP!
Young will make par but Fitzpatrick has eight feet to tie him. It misses right and Cameron Young taps in to win The Players Championship!
