Players Championship Day 1 Surprises: Veterans Lead as Top Stars Stumble at TPC Sawgrass
The opening day of the 2025 Players Championship delivered several notable surprises at TPC Sawgrass, with veterans Lucas Glover, J.J. Spaun, and Camilo Villegas sharing the lead at six under par.
The course played unexpectedly easy, with receptive greens leading to numerous low scores. This favorable scoring condition was a departure from TPC Sawgrass's typical challenging setup.
The leaderboard featured a mix of established veterans and surprising performances. Rickie Fowler remained in contention at four under par, showing glimpses of the form that earned him victory here a decade ago.
However, several top players struggled significantly. Viktor Hovland shot 80, Max Homa carded 79, while Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Thomas both recorded 78s. Most notably, Justin Thomas lost nine strokes to the field in ball-striking alone, finding water on multiple holes after a promising start at two under through seven holes.
The day highlighted TPC Sawgrass's unforgiving nature when players are slightly off their game, while also demonstrating how veterans' course knowledge can lead to success on this demanding layout. With three rounds remaining, the tournament remains wide open for those who managed to stay in contention after day one.