Drake Dunaway is confidently backing Collin Morikawa to win the 2025 THE PLAYERS Championship. Morikawa's precise iron play and excellent driving accuracy make him tailor-made for TPC Sawgrass, as evidenced by ranking fourth in approach and first in driving accuracy over the last six months according to Data Golf. Dunaway isn't deterred by Morikawa's previous best finish of just T13 at Sawgrass, emphasizing recent strong form highlighted by Morikawa's close contention at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He also highlights a historical angle, mentioning that recent PLAYERS winners often finished top-10 the week prior at Bay Hill or skipped the event entirely. Morikawa's ability to pass that tough test at Bay Hill further emphasizes his readiness to deliver this week, making him Dunaway's pick to win outright at generous 16-1 odds.

Drake Dunaway thinks Tommy Fleetwood is poised for a breakout win at TPC Sawgrass, noting Fleetwood currently finds himself at the top of the best players yet to win on the PGA Tour. Fleetwood's elite tee-to-green game (4th in strokes gained tee-to-green last 6 months according to Data Golf) pairs well with his superior short game. Despite recently struggling to crack the top-20 at THE PLAYERS Championship, Fleetwood does offer historical success on this course, including back-to-back top-10 finishes in 2018 and 2019. Dunaway believes Fleetwood's solid weekend performance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational indicates he's returning to pre-pandemic form. Additionally, Dunaway mentions testing Fleetwood's candidacy as a dark horse through ChatGPT, adding extra intrigue to this pick at appealing odds of 30-1.

Drake Dunaway sees solid value in Sepp Straka at 60-1 odds for THE PLAYERS Championship, citing his exceptional recent form and elite iron play. Straka, who captured a victory earlier this year at The American Express, showcased resilience at Bay Hill with the lowest aggregate score over the final three rounds, ultimately earning a T5 despite an opening-round 77. Dunaway also highlights that Straka boasts top-10 driving accuracy metrics, critical on a course like TPC Sawgrass, which heavily rewards accurate driving and excellent approach play. Given his trending form and skill set perfectly suited to the challenging Stadium Course, Straka is considered an attractive mid-tier pick.

Drake Dunaway believes Nick Taylor provides intriguing long-shot value at substantial 150-1 odds for THE PLAYERS Championship. He highlights Taylor's elite iron play and exceptional accuracy off the tee—both key factors for success at TPC Sawgrass. Taylor already has a win this season at the Sony Open and maintains a flawless record of made cuts, proving consistency. While acknowledging that longshots haven't performed especially well since THE PLAYERS Championship reverted to March, Dunaway references historical context of longer-odds winners like Craig Perks, Tim Clark, and Si Woo Kim in 2017. Dunaway concludes that Taylor can contend over the weekend if a few putts fall his way, offering meaningful value at current odds.