The opening round of The Players Championship took us back in time to the late 2000s, as Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, and Camilo Villegas, the 2008 Tour Championship winner, set the pace at Sawgrass with impressive scores of -6, alongside J.J. Spaun. Following closely behind at -5 were Rory McIlroy, along with Min Woo Lee and Billy Horschel. A group of players trailed at -4.
Glover showcased his skills with a remarkable round that concluded with four consecutive birdies on the final four holes, earning him a well-deserved break before his tee time on Friday afternoon. “I truly believe I can still compete at a high level at 45,” Glover stated confidently after his round. “I have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.”
On the flip side of the leaderboard, notable names struggled with their performances. Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Thomas finished the day at +6, while Max Homa ended at +7 and Viktor Hovland at a disappointing +8, 80 strokes off the lead. Many players declined to comment after completing their rounds.
Glover remained composed as the current leader of The Players. “This course always produces a mix of exceptional and disappointing scores,” he remarked. “The margins are incredibly slim here, similar to Augusta or Bay Hill. A slight misstep can result in significant numbers quickly.”
The iconic Island Green at Sawgrass posed challenges for several players, including Max Greyserman, who faced a quadruple-bogey on the hole, dropping from T55 to T121 in the standings.
Justin Thomas experienced the unpredictable nature of The Players, as he went from sharing the lead early on to plummeting down the leaderboard after a tough stretch on holes 17 and 18.
In contrast, Chandler Philips had a remarkable day, carding three eagles and performing exceptionally well on the par-5s to finish at -4. His round marked the first time since 1983 that a player achieved three eagles at The Players.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler remained in contention with a solid round of -3, featuring four birdies and one bogey, placing him three strokes behind the leaders. Scheffler, along with McIlroy and Xander Schauffele (E), will tee off on Friday morning at 8:24 ET.
