THE PLAYERS: Round One Recap

Round one has come to a close and we are moving on to Friday at THE PLAYERS Championship.

For a day that has been anticipated since the cancellation of last year’s tournament due to COVID-19, the best field of golfers produced a great amount of excitement for its fans at the stadium and at home.

Leader

Former PLAYERS champion in 2008, Sergio Garcia, graced the spectators with a sense of nostalgia as he played his first round with a vintage style of Sergio play. The Spaniard filled his card with a couple of eagles, four birdies, eleven pars, and just one bogey for a first round score of 65 (-7).

He holds a two-shot lead over surprise contender Brian Harman. Sergio’s dominance in the first round is reminiscent of his performance in past mid-major/major tournaments and proves to the field that TPC Sawgrass does not favor any specific strength of play, but rather, all of them.

As Sergio Garcia heads into day two of THE PLAYERS with a two-shot cushion, he will, hopefully, be on time to his tee-time tomorrow at 1:00 PM ready to play as well, if not better, than he did today.

Notable Shots

Matthew Fitzpatrick chips-in his first of two eagles.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1370036866498564102

DeChambeau shows off his confidence on the par-5 16th as he hammers a tee shot then takes an easy 9-iron for an eagle look.

"Driver, nine."@B_DeChambeau hit driver-9-iron at the par-5 16th.

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 11, 2021

James Hahn nearly holes out on 17.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1370118892182515715

Stories of the Day

The defending PLAYERS champion in 2019, Rory McIlroy, had a disastrous day as he would post a 7-over scorecard of 79. His unfortunate round was “lowlighted” by a quad-bogey on the difficult 18th, the hardest hole on the golf course.

Rory hooked his tee-shot in the water, then would eventually slam another one in the drink to post an 8. He is currently tied for 139th and must battle back tomorrow if he has any hopes of making the cut and defending his title.

The champ is down. Rory McIlroy makes a quadruple bogey on No. 18. pic.twitter.com/dIfMf72WxG

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 11, 2021

There were a total of 35 shots dropped in the water on the island-green 17th, the second-most victims in a round in the history of THE PLAYERS at TPC Sawgrass. The highest total score of the day on the dreaded hole was an 11 by Ben An.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1370193073284681731

Stat Leaders After Round One

Strokes Gained

• Off-the-tee: Jordan Spieth, 2.102
• Tee-to-green: Matthew Fitzpatrick, 6.727
• Approach-the-green: Sergio Garcia, 3.697
• Around-the-green: Matthew Fitzpatrick, 3.957
• Putting: Billy Horschel, 5.105
• Total: Sergio Garcia, 8.802

Total Birdies: Brian Harman, 8

Longest Putt: Branden Grace, 65 ft.

Longest Drive: Cameron Davis, 370 yds.

Key Takeaways

To the surprise of no one, TPC Sawgrass can play extremely hard even in the best and most pure of conditions. Players need to adjust to their mistakes, aside from technical swing errors, and figure out a way to keep up with the challenges of the course down the stretch.

Holes 17 and 18 played the hardest today, and they will almost certainly prove to be equally difficult throughout the weekend. A round isn’t over until it’s over, especially at TPC Sawgrass, and the golfers need to gain as much momentum and confidence down the stretch so they can go into the final two holes with a boost.

Putting is the key to winning here at THE PLAYERS. Obviously, the greens proved to be tough today especially due to their firm conditions. As the tournament progresses, speeds and pace will change so the players need to adjust to new conditions.

Like today proved, the leader(s) after rounds can be virtually anyone. Few people expected Sergio Garcia and Brian Harman to top the leaderboard. This year’s installment of THE PLAYERS is still anyone’s for the taking; it’s all about who plays the best all-around golf.

Cover Image via Instagram