Sepp Straka and Sahith Theegala shot 5-under 67s to share the clubhouse lead after the first round of the 2026 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Maverick McNealy and Lee Hodges also posted 67s, while defending champion Rory McIlroy carded a 2-over 74 amid rust from a recent back injury. Austin Smotherman stands at 5 under through 17 holes, with play suspended for darkness.
The first round of the 2026 Players Championship unfolded on March 12 at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, under variable conditions including wind, rain, and a 21-minute delay. Four players tied for the clubhouse lead at 5 under par: Sepp Straka, Sahith Theegala, Maverick McNealy, and Lee Hodges, each with a 67. Straka went bogey-free, saving par seven times and chipping in for eagle from 50 feet on the par-5 16th. "I felt like all day I was playing from the rough, which is not ideal out here," Straka said. "Fortunately, my iron play and wedge play was pretty nice today, and I was able to make a lot of putts to save some pars."
Theegala started with three birdies in his first four holes but faced trouble on the par-5 ninth and 11th before holing out from 99 yards on the par-4 12th for eagle. "For it to crash into the pin and go in is pretty cool. It’s a nice bonus," Theegala noted. McNealy matched his career-best round at the event with six birdies and one bogey, while Hodges birdied the 16th and 18th to close strongly, using just 24 putts.
Austin Smotherman reached 5 under through 17 holes but marked his 15-foot birdie putt on the ninth due to darkness, set to resume Friday morning. Justin Thomas, returning from back surgery that sidelined him earlier in the season, shot a 4-under 68 with birdies on his first three holes, tying for second. "Literally every single thing you could imagine I did quite a bit better," Thomas said, rebounding from back-to-back 79s at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who withdrew from Bay Hill due to back spasms and arrived Wednesday without a full practice round, posted a 74. He cited rust in his short game, particularly on downhill lies, with bogeys on holes 4, 5, and 11, and a lone birdie on the sixth from a fairway bunker. "It's weird, I obviously played on Friday; it's not as if I've taken a ton of time off, but just felt like unbelievably rusty out there," McIlroy said. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled off the tee for an even-par 72.
Collin Morikawa withdrew after one hole due to a back injury from a practice swing, and Ryan Fox pulled out citing kidney stones requiring surgery. Play saw 38 balls in the water on the closing holes and two fairway eagles amid shifting weather from rain to sunshine.
