2012 THE PLAYERS Championship Tee Times & Odds

Now that we know which players will enter this year’s fifth major as the betting favorites, it’s time to take a look at what time they’ll be teeing off on the first and second round. As we stated before, Rory McIlroy will try and solidify his status as the No.1 player in the world with a victory at the TPC Sawgrass this week.

Listed as a 10/1 favorite to win this week at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, McIlroy will be teeing off along side Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Jason Wagner and Mark Wilson at: 1:49 PM ET (Round 1) and 8:39 AM ET (Round 2). The 23-year-old Northern Irishman’s nerves should be tested right from the get-go, as serious contenders will accompany him in the first two days of the tournament.

Need help  making your golf picks for the 2012 THE PLAYERS Championship? Check out what most golf predictions experts have to say about who will conquer the challenging TPC at Sawgrass this week!

At the present time, Mickelson is listed as a 20/1 challenger, which is tied for fifth best, while Stricker’s odds to win THE PLAYERS are right behind lefty at 30/1. Mickelson should play an inspired tournament after being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame this week in what became a very intimate ceremony.

“It’s everything about the game,” he said when asked to describe what his favorite part about playing golf for a living was. “Whether it’s just the challenge of making contact and hitting the ball or the challenge of being creative and hitting shots around the greens.

“I loved going out there on a rainy day practicing under the palm tree when nobody was around hitting balls out onto the course where I grew up. I love going down to the club and just hanging out, hanging out and spending time with the guys before and after a round. I just love everything about the game. It’s been such a big part of my life, that I’m very appreciative that I get to do what I do. I’d like to see other people enjoy it the way I do.”

Speaking of other people enjoying golf, one man that has certainly been frustrated with the game, and one who we certainly can’t leave out of this story is Tiger Woods. Still trying to find his new swing and regain his winning form, Woods addressed the irritation of not playing to the level he knows he’s capable of competing in. In complete contrast to Mickelson, Woods spoke about the game of golf and the happiness it brings to his life.

“A joy? No, I don’t enjoy missing cuts,” Woods said during today’s press conference. “You’re not going to play well every week. There are times when I have felt awful over a golf ball and I’ve still somehow won a golf tournament. It doesn’t mean I feel comfortable but just somehow figured out a way. When I get into what Sean wants me to do with my old setup where I’m comfortable, then I can hit an array of shots, because obviously my grip has changed, my posture and how I move through the golf ball is completely different. So that’s where I get into the problems.

“Now, if I get completely uncomfortable and put myself in a position where it feels just awful, I hit it pure. So there’s where I’m developing in the swing. It was the same way at Bay Hill where I was just committed to just feeling awful over the ball, and I hit it great. But that’s the movement pattern. That’s what’s different.

“I’ve been through it with Butch (Harmon), I’ve been through it with Hank (Haney), and you get through stages like this, go through periods like this. We’ve all done it. It’s just I’m in it right now.”

Woods’ tee times for Thursday and Friday will be the exact opposite of McIlroy and Mickelson, as he will get things going at 8:39 AM ET on day one, and 1:49 PM ET on the second day. Woods will be playing alongside Rickie Fowler, who’s coming off his victory at the Wells Fargo championship and: Robert Garrigus, Hunter Mahan, Carl Pettersson and D.A. Points.

Check out the top candidates with the best odds to win THE PLAYERS Championship 2012:

• Field (Any Other Golfers) 3/1
• Rory McIlroy 10/1
• Lee Westwood 12/1
• Luke Donald 15/1
• Tiger Woods 20/1
• Phil Mickelson 20/1
• Adam Scott 30/1
• Steve Stricker 30/1
• Sergio Garcia 30/1
• Hunter Mahan 30/1
• Webb Simpson 30/1
• Jim Furyk 40/1
• Matt Kuchar 40/1
• Jason Day 40/1
• Rickie Fowler 40/1
• Jason Dufner 40/1
• Justin Rose 40/1
• Louis Oosthuizen 40/1
• Nick Watney 40/1

• Blake Adams             7:15 am             12:25 pm
• Greg Chalmers             7:15 am             12:25 pm
• Chris Couch             7:15 am             12:25 pm
• Graham DeLaet             7:15 am             12:25 pm
• John Mallinger             7:15 am             12:25 pm
• Cameron Tringale             7:15 am             12:25 pm
• Chris DiMarco             7:26 am             12:36 pm
• James Driscoll             7:26 am             12:36
• Tom Gillis             7:26 am             12:36 pm
• Jeff Overton             7:26 am             12:36 pm
• Andres Romero             7:26 am             12:36 pm
• D.J. Trahan             7:26 am             12:36 pm
• Briny Baird             7:36 am             12:46 pm
• Kris Blanks             7:36 am             12:46 pm
• Brandt Jobe             7:36 am             12:46 pm
• Pat Perez             7:36 am             12:46 pm
• Kevin Streelman             7:36 am             12:46 pm
• Michael Thompson             7:36 am             12:46 pm
• Charley Hoffman             7:47 am             12:57 pm
• Bryce Molder             7:47 am             12:57 pm
• Geoff Ogilvy             7:47 am             12:57 pm
• Vijay Singh             7:47 am             12:57 pm
• Scott Verplank             7:47 am             12:57 pm
• Gary Woodland             7:47 am             12:57 pm
• Arjun Atwal             7:57 am             1:07 pm
• Matt Bettencourt             7:57 am             1:07 pm
• Angel Cabrera             7:57 am             1:07 pm
• Brian Gay             7:57 am             1:07 pm
• Padraig Harrington             7:57 am             1:07 pm
• Heath Slocum             7:57 am             1:07 pm
• Aaron Baddeley             8:08 am             1:18 pm
• Harrison Frazar             8:08 am             1:18 pm
• Justin Leonard             8:08 am             1:18 pm
• George McNeill             8:08 am             1:18 pm
• Kevin Na             8:08 am             1:18 pm
• Scott Piercy             8:08 am             1:18 pm
• K.J. Choi             8:18 am             1:28 pm
• Tim Clark             8:18 am             1:28 pm
• Ben Crane             8:18 am             1:28 pm
• Sergio Garcia             8:18 am             1:28 pm
• Brandt Snedeker             8:18 am             1:28 pm
• Nick Watney             8:18 am             1:28 pm
• Keegan Bradley             8:29 am             1:39 pm
• Jason Day             8:29 am             1:39 pm
• Matt Kuchar             8:29 am             1:39 pm
• Louis Oosthuizen             8:29 am             1:39 pm
• Ian Poulter             8:29 am             1:39 pm
• Webb Simpson             8:29 am             1:39 pm
• Rickie Fowler             8:39 am             1:49 pm
• Robert Garrigus             8:39 am             1:49 pm
• Hunter Mahan             8:39 am             1:49 pm
• Carl Pettersson             8:39 am             1:49 pm
• D.A. Points             8:39 am             1:49 pm
• Tiger Woods             8:39 am             1:49 pm
• Michael Bradley             8:50 am             2:00 pm
• Chris Kirk             8:50 am             2:00 pm
• Sean O’Hair             8:50 am             2:00 pm
• Ryan Palmer             8:50 am             2:00 pm
• Henrik Stenson             8:50 am             2:00 pm
• David Toms             8:50 am             2:00 pm
• Hunter Haas             9:00 am             2:10 pm
• David Hearn             9:00 am             2:10 pm
• J.J. Henry             9:00 am             2:10 pm
• J.B. Holmes             9:00 am             2:10 pm
• Spencer Levin             9:00 am             2:10 pm
• Troy Matteson             9:00 am             2:10 pm
• Chad Campbell             9:11 am             2:21 pm
• Jeff Maggert             9:11 am             2:21 pm
• David Mathis             9:11 am             2:21 pm
• Billy Mayfair             9:11 am             2:21 pm
• John Merrick             9:11 am             2:21 pm
• Rod Pampling             9:11 am             2:21 pm
• Ken Duke             12:25 pm             7:15 am
• Tom Pernice Jr.             12:25 pm             7:15 am
• Chez Reavie             12:25 pm             7:15 am
• Kevin Stadler             12:25 pm             7:15 am
• Josh Teater             12:25 pm             7:15 am
• Brendon de Jonge             12:25 pm             7:15 am
• Simon Dyson             12:36 pm             7:26 am
• Tim Herron             12:36 pm             7:26 am
• Sunghoon Kang             12:36 pm             7:26 am
• Nick O’Hern             12:36 pm             7:26 am
• Chris Stroud             12:36 pm             7:26 am
• Jimmy Walker             12:36 pm             7:26 am
• Ricky Barnes             12:46 pm             7:36 am
• Kevin Chappell             12:46 pm             7:36 am
• Francesco Molinari             12:46 pm             7:36 am
• John Rollins             12:46 pm             7:36 am
• Bo Van Pelt             12:46 pm             7:36 am
• Charlie Wi             12:46 pm             7:36 am
• Lucas Glover             12:57 pm             7:47 am
• Retief Goosen             12:57 pm             7:47 am
• Fredrik Jacobson             12:57 pm             7:47 am
• Jerry Kelly             12:57 pm             7:47 am
• Rory Sabbatini             12:57 pm             7:47 am
• Y.E. Yang             12:57 pm             7:47 am
• Robert Allenby             1:07 pm             7:57 am
• Jim Furyk             1:07 pm             7:57 am
• Trevor Immelman             1:07 pm             7:57 am
• Davis Love III             1:07 pm             7:57 am
• Scott Stallings             1:07 pm             7:57 am
• Brendan Steele             1:07 pm             7:57 am
• Jonathan Byrd             1:18 pm             8:08 am
• Stewart Cink             1:18 pm             8:08 am
• Charles Howell III             1:18 pm             8:08 am
• Martin Laird             1:18 pm             8:08 am
• Jhonattan Vegas             1:18 pm             8:08 am
• Camilo Villegas             1:18 pm             8:08 am
• Ernie Els             1:28 pm             8:18 am
• Zach Johnson             1:28 pm             8:18 am
• Martin Kaymer             1:28 pm             8:18 am
• Graeme McDowell             1:28 pm             8:18 am
• Justin Rose             1:28 pm             8:18 am
• Adam Scott             1:28 pm             8:18 am
• Ben Curtis             1:39 pm             8:29 am
• Luke Donald             1:39 pm             8:29 am
• Jason Dufner             1:39 pm             8:29 am
• Bill Haas             1:39 pm             8:29 am
• Kyle Stanley             1:39 pm             8:29 am
• Lee Westwood             1:39 pm             8:29 am
• John Huh             1:49 pm             8:39 am
• Rory McIlroy             1:49 pm             8:39 am
• Phil Mickelson             1:49 pm             8:39 am
• Steve Stricker             1:49 pm             8:39 am
• Johnson Wagner             1:49 pm             8:39 am
• Mark Wilson             1:49 pm             8:39 am
• Paul Casey             2:00 pm             8:50 am
• Bud Cauley             2:00 pm             8:50 am
• Brian Davis             2:00 pm             8:50 am
• Bob Estes             2:00 pm             8:50 am
• Ryan Moore             2:00 pm             8:50 am
• Joe Ogilvie             2:00 pm             8:50 am
• Sang-Moon Bae             2:10 pm             9:00 am
• Tommy Gainey             2:10 pm             9:00 am
• Peter Hanson             2:10 pm             9:00 am
• Ryuji Imada             2:10 pm             9:00 am
• Robert Karlsson             2:10 pm             9:00 am
• John Senden             2:10 pm             9:00 am
• Harris English             2:21 pm             9:11 am
• Matt Every             2:21 pm             9:11 am
• J.J. Killeen             2:21 pm             9:11 am
• Colt Knost             2:21 pm             9:11 am
• Marc Leishman             2:21 pm             9:11 am
• Alvaro Quiros             2:21 pm             9:11 am