Justin Thomas reacts to a strange shoot during the first round of player championship at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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Day 1 in the 2025 player championship is full with three players – Lucas Glover, JJ Spaun and Camilo Villegas – connected in six under, and with some still on the course waiting to complete their first round. Did we learn Thursday at TPC Sawgrass? We asked our employees.
What was the biggest surprise of the day 1 of the player championship?
Josh Sens, senior writer: that Scottie Scheffler did not win. I baby. Although it is not exactly a shock to have an impossible leader this tournament, Camilo Villegas was not high on my list to enter such a hot start. He is a boy in Florida and knows this course well. But that was quite a regular round that I just saw from him.
Jessica Marxbury, Senior Editor: I agree, Josh! The number of not -so -ardent veterans’ names at the top of the leader’s table after day 1 is definitely a surprise, from Lucas Glover to JJ SPAUN to Billy Horschel. A long way to go, of course, but evidence that all kinds of players can be successful in Tpc saw.
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James Colan, news editor and features: Man, I’m surprised how easy this golf course played. Many red numbers and host greens. Not the norm!
Josh Berhow, Managing Editor: Can it be my surprise I’m not very surprised? And what I mean is that the board looks right. Some veterans up, some big name players in a good position and some boys who came to an effort, well, still fighting. It will be interesting to see which of the results of five and six sub-nine will stick about 36 holes. Rickie Fowler is two back in four under; It would be a pleasure to see him return the clock to this event – I cannot believe that a decade has passed since he won here.
Dylan Dothier, senior writer: You can’t win the tour on Thursday, so it seems appropriate to address the Felas who have already lost it. For Piggyback in Berhow’s Point, the big names at the bottom of the manager’s table are not surprising, but seeing Victor Hovland shoot 80 and Max Homa Shoot 79 (Plus Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Thomas shooting 78) in a relatively day of reinforced score some of their fears for their current wars. TPC Sawgrass is brutal if you are a little far away. They are a little far away.
Josh Schrock, Associate News Editor: that Justin Thomas lost nine strokes in the field with his ball hit (outside of tee and access) in what was a class extraction after starting the tour two under seven holes. JT found the water at 17 and made double. He then hit his shot on the left of the left at the Dead Center of the Basin and made triple. He found the water again at 4 and 5. Thursday at TPC Sawgrass was a brutal day for a guy who seems to be rounding back in shape.
