The Players Championship took a trip down memory lane to the late 2000s on Thursday, as Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, and Camilo Villegas, the 2008 Tour Championship winner, set the pace at Sawgrass with a score of -6, tied with J.J. Spaun. Rory McIlroy, Min Woo Lee, and Billy Horschel were close behind at -5, while a group of players trailed at -4.
Glover impressed with a rollercoaster round that ended on a high note — four consecutive birdies on the final four holes. “I truly believe I can still compete at 45,” he said confidently, looking forward to his Friday afternoon tee time. “I have no plans to slow down anytime soon.”
On the flip side, some notable names struggled on the course. Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Thomas finished the day at +6, Max Homa at +7, and Viktor Hovland at a disappointing +8. Many opted not to comment on their challenging rounds.
“The competition here is fierce, much like Augusta or Bay Hill,” Glover noted. “The margins are slim. A slight misstep can lead to big numbers quickly.”
Several players fell victim to Sawgrass’ infamous Island Green, including Max Greyserman, who quadruple-bogeyed the hole. But the biggest swing of fortunes belonged to Justin Thomas, who went from leading early on to dropping down the leaderboard after a tough finish on 17 and 18.
However, Chandler Philips showcased the unpredictable nature of The Players by recording three eagles in a single round, finishing the day at -4. This marked the first time since 1983 that a player achieved three eagles in a Players Championship.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler stayed in contention with a solid round of -3, including four birdies and one bogey. He sits three strokes behind the leaders. Scheffler, McIlroy, and Xander Schauffele (E) are scheduled to tee off at 8:24 AM ET on Friday.