The PLAYERS Championship: Five To Thrive

Photo via pgatour.com

The weekly "Five To Thrive" column continues this week in one of the biggest PGA Tour events of the year, the PLAYERS Championship.

Well, we haven't done this in a while. Since the Masters, a lot has been going on within our blog and I wasn't able to devote time to write these weekly columns. Thankfully, we're all settled in again. With that said here are the top 5 golfers you should keep an eye on this week:

5. Sergio Garcia  - Although he disappointed at the Masters with a missed cut, Garcia should be on track for a bounce back week. He is one of the few players who can handle the complexity of this course, as he's made 10 straight cuts here. Controversy followed him around last year while he was fighting Tiger for the title, but without TW in the mix, I think Sergio will have a solid week.

4. Jimmy Walker - The current FedEx Cup leader missed the cut in his last start, but had a solid showing at Augusta with a top ten finish. The PLAYERS is the toughest tournament to be consistent at, but I think Walker will give another good performance, as he continues the greatest golf year of his life.

3. Matt Kuchar - The 2012 champ finally has a win this year, at the RBC Heritage. That showed me that he has regained the ability to close out tournaments like an elite player should. Nothing really fazes Matt, which bodes well for a closing stretch that requires incredible mental strength.

2. Rory McIlroy - The just turned 25 year-old isn't a big fan of this course (missed cut in '09 and skipping it in 2010), but that doesn't mean he can't win here. Rory is finally figuring out how to swing the Nike clubs well, which means a win is right around the corner for him. It could definitely be here.

1. Jordan Spieth - This young phenom has now gotten my full attention. After an incredible performance at The Masters, it's tough to not be in awe of this guy. I didn't think he was ready to win at Augusta, but I sure do think he is ready to win at TPC Sawgrass. He is wise beyond his years in every aspect. This will be HIS week.

Well, there you have it. These are my 5 players to thrive at The PLAYERS. Let us know your 5 in the comments, or tweet at us @HTWDSports!