The Players Championship is not an official major, but it is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments of the year. Often referred to as "the fifth major," every top player wants to win it.

This year's tournament is something of a precursor to the Masters, which tees off in April. The first major of the season may be the most prestigious of all the top titles, and playing well at the Players Championship can set a player up for a strong run.

Golf fans will remember that the Players Championship originally teed off in March before moving to May in 2007. However, the tournament moves back to March this year, running from the 14th to the 17th, and golf's biggest names will be competing at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The biggest name, of course, is Tiger Woods. While he ranks 107th in FedEx Cup points this season, he still draws the biggest crowds at the start of every tournament, and the excitement level goes up dramatically when he is in contention.

Other stars in this year's tournament are many of the usual suspects, including Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth.

In addition to those players, Xander Schauffele, who is at the top of the FedEx rankings, will attempt to build on the success that has seen him win two tournaments and earn three top-10 finishes this season.

Woods, Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson will play together during the first two days of the tournament as one of the featured groups. The other featured groups include Fowler, Koepka and Spieth; McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar; and Schauffele, Thomas and Rose.

Additional featured groups are scheduled to be announced Monday.

Johnson and McIlroy are the co-favorites to win the event, as both players are listed at +1200 by VegasInsider. A $100 bet on either of those two favorites would return a profit of $1,200 to a winning bettor.

Woods, Rose and Thomas are listed at +1400, while Fowler is listed at +1600. DeChambeau and Koepka follow at +1800, while Rahm and Day are listed at +2200.

Johnson is often looked at as the most gifted player on the tour, and he has played fairly well this season. He has three top-10 finishes this season and a victory in the WGC-Mexico Championship.

Johnson has earned more than $2.3 million on the tour this season, and he ranks fifth in shots gained tee to green.

McIlroy, like Johnson, has been one of the biggest hitters on the tour. He has five top-10 finishes this season, but he has not won any tournament. He finished second to Johnson in the WGC-Mexico, and that's his best showing to this point.

The 43-year-old Woods was scheduled to compete in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he withdrew early in the week citing neck issues.

Woods has one top-10 finish this season, and he has won slightly more than $300,000.

In addition to the tournament favorites, there are a number of sleepers who have a chance to make an impact at the Players Championship and possibly come away with the title.

Keegan Bradley is listed at +8000, while Kevin Kisner is considered a +10000 longshot. Meanwhile, Danny Willett is at +12500.

Bradley is ranked 58th in FedEx points, has two top-10 finishes—including a sixth-place finish at the WGC-HSBC Championship—and has earned more than $700,000 this season. 

Kisner has one top-10 finish this season, as he finished tied for seventh at The RSM Classic, and he has won nearly $500,000 this season. Kisner's strength is his putting, as he gains .468 strokes per round with the flat stick (36th on the tour).

Willett has earned more than $260,000 this season and ranks 132nd in FedEx points. He gains .664 strokes per round on his approach shots, which ranks 20th on the tour.

Players Championship Odds (Courtesy of VegasInsider.com)

Dustin Johnson +1200
Rory McIlroy +1200
Justin Rose +1400
Justin Thomas +1400
Tiger Woods +1400
Rickie Fowler +1600
Brooks Koepka +1800
Bryson DeChambeau +1800
Jason Day +2200
Jon Rahm +2200
Jordan Spieth +2500
Sergio Garcia +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +2500
Xander Schauffele +2500
Patrick Cantlay +2800
Adam Scott +3300
Francesco Molinari +3300
Tony Finau +3300
Webb Simpson +3300
Hideki Matsuyama +4000
Marc Leishman +4000
Matt Kuchar +4000
Patrick Reed +4000
Paul Casey +4000
Phil Mickelson +4000