What is the cut rule at The PLAYERS?

It is the flagship event on the PGA Tour – but what is the cut rule at The PLAYERS?

The PLAYERS Championship reached its 50th anniversary in 2024 and so many of the subplots in the tournament over the years have concerned players on Friday clinging on to make it to the weekend.

The showpiece at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is sometimes noted in golf as the fifth major.

Whilst that notion is somewhat controversial, there is no doubt that this is one of the events where a MC is most disappointing. Not least, of course, for the huge prize money.

Scottie Scheffler lifted the title in 2023 before the prize purse increased to $25million in 2024. The winner pockets $4.5million, and you’ve got to be in it to win it, so making the cut on the number still gives players faint hopes of lifting the famous trophy on Sunday.

So, how many players will make the cut at TPC Sawgrass?

• What is a TPC golf course?

• What are the play-off rules at The PLAYERS?

The PLAYERS Championship cut rules

Unlike some “Signature Events” on the PGA Tour, The PLAYERS Championship is a full-field tournament that hosts 144 players.

Just like standard tour events, there is a 36-hole cut which aims to cut the field in half ahead of round three and four on Saturday and Sunday. As the PGA Tour’s cut rules explain, the top 65 players in the tournament make it to the weekend.

Therefore, any player who is on a lower score or tied with the 65th placed player makes the 36-hole cut and advances.

The score for the cut at The PLAYERS has differed over the years based on differing conditions at Sawgrass. In 2023, the cut mark was two-over-par, which equates to 146 shots around the 72-hole course on Thursday and Friday.

• TPC Sawgrass: The hole-by-hole guide

• Every hole-in-one on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass

Some fans will be pleased to see that The PLAYERS still has a cut, after the PGA Tour decided to make some of its limited field Signature Events no cut, starting in 2024.

In the 2025 season, nine events on the PGA Tour don’t have a cut. They are: The Sentry (Signature Event), AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Signature Event), RBC Heritage (Signature Event), Truist Championship (Signature Event), Travelers Championship (Signature Event), FedEx St Jude Championship (FedEx Cup Playoffs), BMW Championship (FedEx Cup Playoffs), Tour Championship (FedEx Cup Playoffs), and Zozo Championship.