Sepp Straka and Sahith Theegala headline a group of five tied for the lead at 5-under par following the first round of The Players Championship.
Maverick McNealy, Lee Hodges, and Austin Smotherman are the others atop a crowded leaderboard at TPC Sawgrass. Play was suspended due to darkness with Smotherman on the 18th green.
| Position | Player | Score |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | Maverick McNealy | 67 (-5) |
| T1 | Lee Hodges | 67 (-5) |
| T1 | Sepp Straka | 67 (-5) |
| T1 | Sahith Theegala | 67 (-5) |
| T1 | Austin Smotherman | 67 (-5) |
| T2 | Justin Thomas | 68 (-4) |
| T2 | Russell Henley | 68 (-4) |
| T2 | Taylor Moore | 68 (-4) |
| T2 | Cameron Young | 68 (-4) |
Star players Tony Finau, Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, and Xander Schauffele are also in the mix at 3-under.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy participated in the first round after a back injury made him a game-time decision. He struggled with a 2-over 74.
World No. 4 Collin Morikawa withdrew from the event after tweaking his back on a practice swing. He played only one hole before exiting the tournament.
Scottie Scheffler continued his 2026 trend of lackluster opening rounds, carding an even-par 72. He won the signature event in 2023 and 2024.
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