The Players Championship leaderboard: Results, highlights from Round 1 Thursday

The Players Championship tees off from TPC Sawgrass. Follow along live.

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The Players Championship, often referred to as golf’s "fifth major," began Thursday at the iconic Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The most lucrative event on the PGA Tour calendar with its $25 million purse, The Players boasted an incredibly strong field with 48 of the top 50 golfers in the world competing.

Throw in one of the signature holes in all of golf, the island-green par-3 17th, and you have a recipe for plenty of excitement as the 2025 season hit the peak of its annual Florida swing.

Here are the results and top moments from Round 1 of The Players Championship on Thursday:

The Players Championship leaderboard

Find the live updating Players Championship leaderboard here.

Spaun, Villegas, Glover lead after Round 1

Round 1 is in the books, and while a few were able to reach it, no one was able to surpass Lucas Glover's early morning mark of -6. That said, we saw a lot of people come close, especially Camilo Villegas.

Villegas was incredible on the greens Thursday, taking only 22 putts in the first round, and if not for a late bogey, Villegas would be out in front by himself. J.J. Spaun, on the other hand, had a very quiet day. If he can maintain that calm, methodical play he showed today, it'll be tough for anyone to beat him, but that could be too tall a task for someone with only one career PGA Tour win.

Rory McIlroy birdies 18

After an up-and-down day, Rory McIlroy managed a birdie on 18, described as "the oddest of the day" for the 35-year-old. Regardless, McIlroy ends Round 1 at 5-under, tied for fourth in the field alongside Billy Horschel and Min Woo Lee.

Billy Horschel in the thick of it after back-to-back birdies

Billy Horschel managed birdies on 17 and 18 to end his day with a 5-under 67. Just two holes earlier, Horschel was outside the top-10 without many people looking his way as a contender. However, he's now tied with Min Woo Lee for fourth-place heading into Friday's second round.

Min Woo Lee somehow manages par on 18

Well, it was unlikely, but let this be a lesson never to bet against someone playing as well as Min Woo Lee. Despite an atrocious tee shot, Lee drilled a 15-20 foot par putt with the ball lipping around the hole and falling in uphill. Fans were in awe at how such a shot was possible, but alas, Lee maintains his -5, and sits in sole possession of fourth place currently.

J.J. Spaun, who has quietly had a fantastic day actually was able to pass Lee on 18 with a birdie. Spaun is tied with Villegas and Glover for first-place at -6.

Min Woo Lee shanks tee shot on 18

Tied for third-place at -5, Lee was looking for a great 18th to maintain momentum into the second round. That doesn't appear to be on the table though. Lee attempted to hook a low stinger around the dogleg left, but wound up just pushing the ball far off the fairway and into the crowd. Lee will have an opportunity for an up-and-down, but it seems unlikely he'll be able to catch Lucas Glover or Camilo Villegas today.

Villegas takes control of lead

Camilo Villegas has now birdied three of his last four holes, the most recent coming via a chip-in. Even the broadcasters were astounded by Villegas' decision to chip in that scenario. They noted that they'd seen many people opt for a putt at that distance. Clearly, Villegas isn't playing like anyone else though. He's playing his own game, and it's got him out in front, in sole possession of first-place at -7.

McIlroy having an odd day

If you look at McIlroy's performance this round, his -4 score through 13 holes would appear stellar. However, it's obvious that McIlroy could be playing better. McIlroy has consistently left shots to the right. Every time he comes on screen, the announcers mention how his push/trail has been his biggest issue.

That said, given that McIlroy is still performing incredibly well, this has to be a great sign for McIlroy fans. McIlroy has been able to create multiple up-and-downs despite subpar iron play. He could be someone to keep an eye on throughout the week.

Phillips bogeys 12

We've got a three-way tie for second once again as Phillips posted a bogey on the Par-3 12th hole. Lee, meanwhile, had an opportunity to move to -6 and a tie for the lead with a long birdie putt, but it dribbled just left. Instead, we've got Phillips, Villegas, and Lee all tied at -5. Villegas has two holes in hand on the others.

Lee gets back to -5 with birdie on 12

After a bogey on 11 took him out of the top-4, Lee bounced back nicely, capitalizing on a 12-foot uphill putt to put him back within one shot of the leaders at -6.

Chandler Phillips ties Glover at -6

Given how well Lee and Villegas have bee playing, it was easy to assume one of them would be the first to match Lucas Glover's top mark of -6. However, through 11 holes, Chandler Phillips was the first one to break through. After a bogey from Lee on 11, Phillips now sits two strokes up on Lee and a stroke up on Villegas.

Villegas keeping pace with Lee

Camilo Villegas has shot up the leaderboard, playing arguably better than Lee, sitting at -5 through 8 holes after a birdie on eight. If he can match Lee's 9th hole birdie, Villegas will be tied for the lead at -6 with half the day still to go.

Lee birdies on 9

Lee is on fire. After a stellar 4-under through eight holes, Lee continued his dominance with a birdie on 9. He's now only one stroke off the lead with the entire back-nine to play.

Min Woo Lee continues dominance

Through eight holes, Lee sits at -4, tied for second among all golfers. Only Lucas Glover (6-under 66), has a better score than Lee. Of course, Glover has already finished his round, while Lee still has ample opportunity to match and surpass Glover. Among all golfers on their first nine, Lee and Chandler Phillips are the only ones with scores better than -3.

Scheffler with back-to-back birdies

Scheffler has won each of the last two Players Championships and he is playing like he wants a third. After a pair of pars on 1 and 2, Scheffler was able to birdie holes 3 and 4, which have been much tougher for golfers today.

Min Woo Lee at 3-under through 5

Arguably the best start of the day belongs to Min Woo Lee, who has birdied three of the first five holes. Lee birdied the fifth hole thanks to a solid mid-length putt. Already, Lee is tied for sixth, with only Charley Hoffman matching Lee's marks through five holes.

Golfers finding massive success on Hole 2

Keegan Bradley is the latest golfer to birdie the Par-5 second hole. It appears most golfers playing today have been able to get off to a good start thanks to the hole's ease. However, given that only one golfer has finished the first round better than -4, it's clear that the rest of the course has been troublesome for the field.

Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele start fast

McIlroy and Schauffele have each birdied the opening two holes of their first round at The Players Championship. Schauffele recently returned to PGA Tour action after being sidelined by a wrist injury. McIlroy already has one win this season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Jordan Spieth's wild first round

Jordan Spieth sits inside the top-10 of The Players Championship leaderboard at the moment after carding a 2-under 70 first round that was anything but routine. Spieth finished with one double bogey, three bogeys, two eagles and three birdies.

Lucas Glover closes first round strong

The former U.S. Open champion recovered from back-to-back bogeys on the back nine with four-straight birdies to finish out his first round in sole possession of first place atop the leaderboard at 6-under.

Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele tee off

The marquee group of the opening two rounds at The Players Championship featuring the top three golfers in the world rankings have teed off at TPC Sawgrass. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele are all playing together as Scheffler seeks an unprecedented three-peat at this tournament.

Alex Smalley is early clubhouse leader

Alex Smalley, ranked No. 133 in the world golf rankings this week, just closed out a bogey-free 4-under 68in the first round to become the clubhouse leader at The Players Championship. Aaron Rai also sits at 4-under through 14 holes and tied with Smalley atop the leaderboard. There are five other golfers currently one shot back, most notably Jordan Spieth and Sepp Straka.

Victor Perez withdraws

Victor Perez has withdrawn from The Players Championship due to a back injury, the PGA Tour announced. Ricky Castillo will take his spot in the field. Perez joins Jason Day as golfers to withdraw from the tournament ahead of Thursday's first round.

Beau Hossler grabs solo lead from Lucas Glover

Beau Hossler leads The Players Championship at 4-under, grabbing sole possession from former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover after he made the turn to the back nine at TPC Sawgrass in first place. The lead change happened after consecutive birdies on No. 13 and No. 14 by Hossler, combined with a bogey by Glover on No. 11.

Another eagle for Jordan Spieth

What a rollercoaster ride of a first round for Jordan Spieth. He's in a decent spot at 1-under as he closes out his first nine holes, but how he got there was anything but smooth. Spieth has two hole-out eagles, two bogeys, one birdie and one double bogey.

Justin Thomas suddenly struggling

You'll recall Justin Thomas was briefly tied for the lead Thursday morning at 2-under. Consecutive double bogeys on No. 17 and No. 18 have dropped him into a tie for 56th at 3-over.

New leaders after water balls at TPC Sawgrass No. 17

The "Island Green" at No. 17 is one of the signature holes on the PGA Tour and a highlight every year when The Players Championship is held at TPC Sawgrass. Well, Justin Thomas just lost the lead by hitting into the water on his tee shot. Then Thomas hit into the water again at No. 18 (he started his first round on the back nine). He wasn't alone.

Golfer Justin Lower had a more memorable adventure on No. 17, hitting into the water only to hole out on his next swing for an unconventional par.

Lucas Glover, Vince Whaley and Bud Cauley are currently in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard at 3-under.

Justin Thomas tied for lead

A double bogey by Jordan Spieth dropped him out of the lead and has temporarily created a 14-way tie at 2-under atop the The Players Championship leaderboard at TPC Sawgrass. Justin Thomas is the most notable name among the leaders, with past major winners Wyndham Clark and Lucas Glover also in the mix.

Jordan Spieth eagles 11

Early heroics from Jordan Spieth who followed a birdie on 10 with an eagle on the par-5 11th. It's remarkably early at TPC Sawgrass but the 31-year-old is out in front by his lonesome to start the day.

The Players weather

It's a beautiful morning at the Stadium Course, with temperatures in the upper-50s and the sun shining bright as The Players Championship began. The forecast calls for a high of 74 degrees.

Jordan Spieth tees off at The Players

Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth is underway at TPC Sawgrass alongside Wyndham Clark and Danny Walker, who is replacing Jason Day.

Spieth has missed the cut at The Players in three of his past five appearances.

Jason Day unexpectedly withdraws

Citing an illness, 2016 Players champion Jason Day withdrew from this year's tournament Thursday morning.

Day was scheduled to tee off at 8:46 a.m. ET in a group with Wyndham Clark and Jordan Spieth. Instead, he will be replaced by 29-year-old Korn Ferry Tour grad Danny Walker as the first alternate.

Day was in contention last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, ultimately finishing in eighth place following a final-round 74.

The Players Championship Round 1 start time

The first round of The Players Championship is underway with Chad Ramey, C.T. Pan and Vince Whaley teeing off from the first tee and Lanto Griffin, Andrew Novak and David Lipsky starting from No. 10.

Lipsky became the first player to get into red figures when he birdied his first hole to move to 1-under.

How to watch The Players Championship: TV, streaming coverage

TV channels: Golf Channel all four days/NBC (third and final rounds)
Live stream: ESPN+, Peacock and Fubo, which is offering a free trial

The Players Championship will be carried live on TV by Golf Channel all four days. NBC will pick up live coverage of the third and final rounds. There is streaming coverage available on ESPN+, Peacock and Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

Watch The Players Championship with Fubo

The Players Championship tee times for Round 1

Here is every tee time and grouping for Round 1 of The Players Championship.

The Players Championship 2025 odds

Scottie Scheffler is the favorite to win The Players Championship again in 2025, according to BetMGM, with McIlroy, Morikawa, Ludvig Aberg and Justin Thomas also among the top five for oddsmakers in terms of chances to win this week's PGA Tour signature event.

Scheffler became the first golfer to win The Players Championship in back-to-back years in 2024.

Odds as of Wednesday, March 12

Favorites

The Players Championship picks: Sleepers

Picks by Paste BN Sportsbook Wire

Denny McCarthy (+8000): "McCarthy fired a final-round 67 to finish 18th at Bay Hill on Sunday, continuing some strong play as of late. That was after also coming in fifth at the Genesis last month. In 5 career starts here, he’s never missed the cut and has a career-best finish of 13th in 2023."
Akshay Bhatia (+10,000): "Bhatia struggled on Thursday at Bay Hill, shooting a 9-over 81. He bounced back with a 1-under on Friday but still missed the cut by a lot. He’s playing much better than those scores indicate and his odds shouldn’t be this long at a course where shot shaping is important."

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