The 5 juiciest storylines at the 2021 Players Championship

This is the Morning Win by Andy Nesbitt.

The past few months as a golf fan have been so darn good, haven't they? Week after week we've had some wild Sundays… and also some wild Saturdays with our old friend, Jordan Spieth.

Hopefully that all continues this weekend at The Players Championship, which starts this morning at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla. If you've been watching any of the Golf channel coverage this week then you know that Pete Dye's legendary course is in maybe the best shape it has ever been in, which should lead to a ton of fun over the next four days.

Earlier this week I shared with you the 10 guys who I think could be hoisting the trophy on Sunday.

Now let's look at some of the juiciest storylines worth watch.

1. Will the Bryson DeChambeau circus be full display once again?

Bryson did some incredible things at Bay Hill last week en route to his 8th victory on Tour. Does that mean he'll dominate at TPC Sawgrass? My gut says no, as there aren't many holes that will allow him to unleash monstrous drives and the rough isn't going to be crazy high, which he's taken advantage of at Bay Hill and the U.S. Open. Also, the Tour has announced a new rule this week that was basically made because of Bryson, which is so lame. Still, he should be a factor but I don't see him winning this week.

2. Will Jordan Spieth take us on a ride again?

God, watching Spieth play well over the past month (three top 5 finishes in his last four events!) has been so fun, hasn't it? He has taken us on some incredible rides during that time, unfortunately most of those fun times have been on Saturdays, not Sundays. I need a Spieth run on Sunday at the Players more than I need my 19th Topo Chico of the day, and I love those things. Spieth has never won here before and he'll likely need to drain a lot of long putts to be in contention this week but hopefully he's there for us once again. But man, a Spieth Sunday would be so darn fun.

3. Can Rory McIlfroy defend his title? 

McIlroy is the defending champ with his victory here back in 2019 as last year's tournament was called off after the first round. McIlroy has been in contention a bunch this year but like Spieth, he's struggled to put things together on Sundays. Stunningly, nobody has ever won back-to-back Players Championships, which speaks a lot for how this course really doesn't favor anyone. I think Rory will be near the top on Sunday and I think he could be ready to make history.

4. Can Collin Morikawa take another HUGE step?

Morikawa won his first major last year at the PGA Championship. A few weeks ago he won his first WGC event and joined only Tiger Woods in an elite group in the process. A win here, especially since it would be back-to-back wins for him because he took last week off, and Morikawa goes to a whole new level of stardom.

5. Will there be a hole-in-one on the 17th hole?  

The island hole is one of the most famous holes in all of golf. And while it's only just usually some sort of wedge shot for the pros, it can still lead to a lot drama. Will there be a hole-in-one here over the next four days? Will there be a ton of balls that splash down in the water? I know NBC is going to show us so many shots from 17 and I'll be right there on my couch, gleefully watching them all.

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