Dustin Johnson headlines a six-way tie atop an incredibly bunched leaderboard following a dramatic Round 1 of The Players Championship.
The world's top-ranked player fired a 6-under 66 to hold the lead alongside Webb Simpson, Alex Noren, Chesson Hadley, Matt Kuchar, and Patrick Cantlay.
Playing in the early morning, Johnson fired his lowest career round at TPC Sawgrass, birdieing five of his first nine holes in a bogey-free round. Simpson and Noren would join him after the early wave, while Kuchar, Hadley, and Cantlay did their damage in the afternoon grouping.
The six men at the top are one ahead of another half-dozen tied for second as the leaderboard is among the most bunched in the history of the prestigious event. According to Justin Ray of the Golf Channel, the six-way tie for the lead is the most after any round at TPC Sawgrass since the second round in 1982.
| Place | Player | Score | Total to par |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Dustin Johnson | 66 | -6 |
| T1 | Webb Simpson | 66 | -6 |
| T1 | Alex Noren | 66 | -6 |
| T1 | Chesson hadley | 66 | -6 |
| T1 | Matt Kuchar | 66 | -6 |
| T1 | Patrick Cantlay | 66 | -6 |
| T7 | Andrew Landry | 67 | -5 |
| T7 | Jhonattan Vegas | 67 | -5 |
| T7 | Si Woo Kim | 67 | -5 |
| T7 | Keith Mitchell | 67 | -5 |
| T7 | Rory Sabbatini | 67 | -5 |
| T7 | Steve Stricker | 67 | -5 |
With just a light breeze and gorgeous weather, conditions were close to perfect around the challenging Pete Dye-layout, and scores reflected that ... unless you were one of the six men in the so-called "super groups" that the PGA Tour put together for the first two rounds of action.
The first star-studded trio featured Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas, but only the Northern Irishman would break par with a 1-under 71. Thomas made five birdies but came undone with four bogeys and a double-bogey to finish with a 73. Spieth's well-documented struggles at The Players continued in Round 1, as the 24-year-old looked lost on his way to a 75.
The afternoon grouping of Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, and Phil Mickelson was even worse, with only Woods managing to shoot even-par or better, carding a 72 after a bogey on the last. Fowler, the 2015 champion, struggled to a 3-over 39 on the back nine to post a 74 while Mickelson blew up on the closing stretch, posting three double-bogeys in his last five holes to shoot 79.
The groupings flip tee times for the second round, but with over 50 players within four shots of the lead, it will be difficult for anyone at 1-under or worse to get back into contention.
