PARTIAL First-Round Notes – Thursday, March 12, 2026

 Weather: Mostly cloudy. High of 79. Winds SW at 12-18 mph with gusts to 24 mph.

Suspension Summary: The first round was suspended due to inclement weather at 12:09 p.m. ET and resumed at 12:30 p.m., a delay of 21 minutes with players staying in position. The first round was suspended due to darkness at 7:37 p.m. with four players left to complete their round. The first round will resume on Friday at 8:50 a.m. The second round will begin as scheduled at 7:40 a.m.

LOG-JAM ATOP @THEPLAYERS LEADERBOARD ….

With 5 currently tied for the lead at 5-under @TPCSawgrass and JT @JustinThomas34 brilliantly bouncing back from last week’s shocker at Arnie’s event

Austin Smotherman (Image ⬇️) at 5-under & one hole to play

Read:… pic.twitter.com/6CdjZMacLN

— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) March 13, 2026

PARTIAL First-Round Leaderboard

Maverick McNealy (T1/-5)

• 30-year-old seeks his second win on TOUR in his 175^th career start (2024 RSM Classic)
• Cards 67 or better for the fifth time in seven opening rounds in 2026; entered the week ranked No. 2 on TOUR in first-round scoring average in 2026 at 67.33 (Chris Gotterup/66.33)
• Would be his second career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR (1-for-1); won the 2024 RSM Classic
• Making his seventh start of the 2026 season; has one top-10 finish (10^th/Farmers Insurance Open)
• Making his sixth appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship (best: T9/2024)
• Matches his low 18-hole score in 17 career rounds at THE PLAYERS Championship (previous instance: 2024/R1)
• Hit only 5-of-14 fairways (ranks T110 in the field)

Lee Hodges (T1/-5)

• 30-year-old seeks his second win on TOUR in his 129^th career start (2023 3M Open)
• Would be his third career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR (1-for-2); won the 2023 3M Open
• Making his fifth start of the 2026 season; has one top-10 finish (T6/Sony Open in Hawaii)
• Making his fourth appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship (best: T35/2024)
• Cards his low 18-hole score in 11 career rounds at THE PLAYERS Championship (previous: 69/2024/R1)
• Reached the Top 100 threshold with a T6 at the Sony Open in Hawaii to satisfy his Major Medical Extension, earning him a spot in the field at THE PLAYERS Championship.
• Leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (3.964)

Sepp Straka (T1/-5)

• 32-year-old seeks his fifth win on TOUR in his 194^th career start (previous wins: 2022 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, 2023 John Deere Classic, 2025 American Express, 2025 Truist Championship)
• One of three players who carded a bogey-free opening round (Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland)
• Would be his fifth career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR (0-for-4); most recent: 2025 Genesis Scottish Open/finished 7^th
• Making his sixth start of the 2026 season; has one top-10 finish (T2/AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am)
• Making his sixth appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship; has one top-10 finish (T9/2022)
• Matches his low 18-hole score in 19 career rounds at THE PLAYERS Championship (previous instance: 2022/R4)

Sahith Theegala (T1/-5)

• 28-year-old seeks his second win on TOUR in his 133^rd start (2023 Fortinet Championship)
• Would be his third career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR (0-for-2); most recent: 2024 Sentry/finished 2^nd
• Making his fifth appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship, he has one top-10 finish (T9/2024)
• Making his eighth start of the 2026 season; has three top-10 finishes (T8/The American Express, T7/Farmers Insurance Open, T6/Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard)
• Matches his low 18-hole score in 15 career rounds at THE PLAYERS Championship (three previous instances; 2024/R2, 2024/R3, 2025/R2)

Austin Smotherman (T1/-5 thru 17*)

• 31-year-old seeks his first win on TOUR in his 84^th start; best finish: T2/2026 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
• Looks to become the third player to make THE PLAYERS Championship his first victory on TOUR (Craig Perks/2002, Tim Clark/2010)
• Would be his fourth career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR (0-for-3); most recent: 2026 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches/finished T2
• Making his seventh start of the 2026 season; has two top-10 finishes (T8/The American Express, T2/Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches); withdrew from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard with a back injury prior to his third round
• Making his second appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship (T35/2023)
• Cards his low 18-hole score in five career rounds at THE PLAYERS Championship (previous low: 69/2023/R3)

Miscellaneous Notes

• Making his second start of the 2026 season since returning from back surgery in November, 2021 PLAYERS Champion Justin Thomas (T6) opens with 4-under 68, his first time breaking 70 in the first round of THE PLAYERS (11^th appearance)
• Two-time PLAYERS Champion (2023, 2024) and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (T40/E) entered the week with the longest active cuts made streak on TOUR (69)
• Making his 24^th consecutive start at THE PLAYERS, the longest active streak, 2004 champion Adam Scott (T40/E) recorded his 23^rd birdie all-time on No. 17, the second-most in PLAYERS history (26/Bernhard Langer)
• Two-time PLAYERS Championship winner (2019, 2025) and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (T69/+2) cards his first over-par round on TOUR since the 2025 TOUR Championship (R3/71); withdrew from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard with a back injury prior to his third round
• FedExCup leader Collin Morikawa (back) withdrew during the first round
• Ryan Fox (illness) withdrew prior to the start of the first round and was replaced by David Ford (T82/+3)