Players Championship 2017: Tee Times, Pairings and Predictions for Friday

The Players Championship is clearly a wide-open affair, as 15 players were within two shots of leaders William McGirt and Mackenzie Hughes after the first round of the tournament Thursday.

Under bright blue skies and warm temperatures with no hint of rain, McGirt fired a five-under 67 in the first round at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to set the pace.

McGirt had somewhat of an unconventional round as he fired three birdies on the front nine without a bogey. The back nine was a roller coaster as he had two eagles and two bogeys. He did not have any birdies on the back nine.

Players	Tee Time (ET)	Starting Hole
Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka	7:54 a.m.	10
Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer	8:05 a.m.	10
Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar	8:16 a.m.	10
Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas	8:27 a.m.	10
Mackenzie Hughes, Jim Herman, K.J. Choi	8:38 a.m.	10
Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Henrik Stenson	1:41 p.m.	1
Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Hideki Matsuyama	1:52 p.m.	1
William McGirt, Cody Gribble, Pat Perez	2:03 p.m.	10

McGirt was straightforward in his explanation as to how he was able to land his two eagles. "Good numbers at a good time, made a good swing at a good time," McGirt said, per the Associated Press (h/t Denver Post). "You just kind of see the shot and hit the shot and see the putt and hit the putt."

McGirt was among the early-morning golfers Thursday, and he will tee off at 2:03 p.m. ET Friday with playing partners Pat Perez and Cody Gribble. Here's a link to the tee times for the full field, courtesy of PGATour.com.

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Hughes, a 26-year-old Canadian, was sharp throughout the round. He collected five birdies and did not have a single bogey on his scorecard. Hughes will tee off for his second round at 8:38 a.m.

Adam Scott was having an excellent round as he moved to the famous island green hole at No. 17, but he failed to reach the putting surface and his ball ended up in the water hazard. He took a double bogey on the hole and took another double on the 18th. He finished his round at two-under 70.

J.B. Holmes was among the golfers who finished the first round one stroke behind McGirt, and his first round of 68 featured a three-under 33 on the back nine. Louis Oosthuizen is in the big group at three under par.

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Rickie Fowler and Jason Day both shot 70 in the first round, and those two-under scores leave them three behind McGirt and Hughes.

Fowler and Day had similar rounds, as both were on their games during the opening nine holes before running into trouble on the back nine. Still, Day was quite happy with the way he played the opening round.

"I'm excited about where the state of the game is," said Day, per Kyle Porter of CBSSports.com. "Obviously there's some positive stuff. It's easy to get yourself out of position here, but for the most part, I actually played some solid golf."

Fowler went out in 32, but his closing 38 included a double bogey on the par-four sixth hole that saw him power his drive down the middle and then follow with a wedge shot that went off a palm tree.

Fowler was philosophical about his round, telling Porter that he had "16 really good holes" and that he was in contention because none of the golfers in the field went "really low."

Phil Mickelson is also two under, while Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Hideki Matsuyama are all even par.

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Tournament favorite Dustin Johnson was unable to find his top gear. He shot a one-under 71, and while that included a few brilliant shots, his round lacked the consistency that he has been noted for over the last two seasons.

Fowler, Stenson and Day are one of the featured groups on Friday, and they will tee off at 1:41 p.m. Day had not been playing well this year until his opening round, and if he can string back-to-back strong rounds together, it could signal his return to title contention in elite tournaments.

Mickelson, Matsuyama and Jordan Spieth will tee off at 8:27 a.m., and Spieth will try to make up some ground on the field after opening with a one-over 73.

Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Brooks Koepka will tee off at 7:54 a.m.

Scott, Masters champion Sergio Garcia and veteran Matt Kuchar will tee off at 8:16 a.m, while Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas will follow at 8:27 a.m.

Garcia fired a one-over 73, but he had one of the highlights of the round when he fired an ace on the 17th hole. The crowd at TPC Sawgrass let out a roar that stopped the other golfers on the course in their tracks. 

Predictions

It will be difficult for McGirt and Hughes to keep up their outstanding play as the tournament moves forward, and it does not seem likely that either player will hold the lead at the conclusion of the second round.

Look for Fowler to have a strong second round and charge to the front along with Mickelson. Dustin Johnson should also find his form and get back in contention during Friday's second round.

The key performer may be Day. While he has struggled with nagging injuries much of the season, he had a fine opening round and his confidence appeared to return. Look for him to string excellent rounds together, and he should be within two strokes of the lead after 36 holes.

Fowler and Mickelson will both have the lead after Friday's round, with Johnson and Day lurking two strokes behind.