The best field of the year tees off Thursday in the 2022 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The tournament on the Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., will include 47 of the top 50 players in the world, led by No. 1 Jon Rahm and second-ranked Collin Morikawa. Justin Thomas is the defending champion and a 14-1 co-favorite along with Rahm and Morikawa in the latest 2022 Players Championship odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Rory McIlroy (20-1), Viktor Hovland (20-1) and Patrick Cantlay (22-1) also are expected to be top contenders.

Before you consider your bets on the 2022 Players Championship or make any PGA Tour predictions, you NEED to see what proven golf insider Sal Johnson has to say.

The esteemed golf insider has been around the game for many years and knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour. Johnson has been on a strong run this season. Before the Mayakoba event in Mexico, Johnson had Hovland among his players to watch, while he predicted Brooks Koepka would miss the cut. The result: Koepka went home early, while Hovland shot 23-under to cruise to a four-stroke victory. Johnson also nailed Hideki Matsuyama's victory at the Zozo Championship and Sam Burns' win at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Anyone who has followed Johnson's advice has cashed in HUGE.

Now Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour" and longtime ABC Sports golf producer who worked with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, has released his highly confident 2022 Players Championship picks.

Shockingly, the golf expert is strongly fading Thomas, even though he's one of the top favorites! Thomas has finished in the top 10 twice and been well outside the top 25 twice in his six appearances. His problems with driving accuracy and putting are unlikely to play well this week, so Johnson recommends steering clear of the co-favorite. 

Instead, the golf expert is high on a MASSIVE long shot you NEED to see! This player has pulled off a major surprise before in a similar situation, and the expert says "if he has a great putting week, he will win." It would be shocking result, and you'll want to be in on it when it happens. Anyone who backs this underdog could make a HUGE profit!

Who wins the PGA Tour's 2022 Players Championship? Where do Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy finish? And which HUGE long shot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sal Johnson's top predictions and analysis for the 2022 Players Championship, all from the insider who knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour!