Players Championship Leaderboard 2026 Review of Top Day 1 Scorecards, Player Stats

Some of the top golfers in the world have some work to do after the first round of the 2026 Players Championship.

Amid some tough weather conditions on Thursday, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is tied for 40th at even-par 72 after having his four birdies canceled out by four bogeys. 2025 Players Championship winner Rory McIlroy is tied for 69th after shooting 2-over 74.

Maverick McNealy, Lee Hodges, Sepp Straka, Sahith Theegala and Austin Smotherman are in a five-way tie atop the leaderboard at 5-under 67. Smotherman started on the back nine and was still on the 18th hole when play was suspended due to darkness.

2026 Players Championship Leaderboard

T1. Maverick McNealy (-5)

T1. Lee Hodges (-5)

T1. Sepp Straka (-5)

T1. Sahith Theegala (-5)

T1. Austin Smotherman (-5 through 17)

T6. Justin Thomas (-4)

T6. Russell Henley (-4)

T6. Taylor Moore (-4)

T6. Cameron Young (-4)

Full leaderboard can be found on PGATour.com.

Scheffler's day had a bumpy start with a bogey on the second hole, and he never seemed to recover. He had a lot of trouble driving the ball, and he showed his frustration at times.

Even after the round, Scheffler took to the driving range to practice in the pouring rain:

McIlroy wasn't any better, recording three bogeys and a birdie while battling back problems throughout the opening round.

Meanwhile, McNealy didn't face much trouble until his lone bogey on the 15th hole. He quickly recovered with a birdie on the 16th and had a clean finish to the round.

Hodges also had himself a day with seven birdies, but his two bogeys on the 10th and 14th holes forced him to settle for a tie for first instead of the outright lead.

Straka and Theegala both recorded eagles to secure their spots among the leaders in the opening round.

Collin Morikawa was expected to be among the top contenders to win the Players Championship after last month's victory at Pebble Beach, but he was forced to withdraw from this weekend's event after suffering a back injury on a practice swing.