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PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — Maverick McNealy didn’t mince words about his first impression of TPC Sawgrass, the venerable venue for the Players Championship.
“The first time I played TPC Sawgrass,’’ he said, “I didn’t really understand the hype.’’
That take has changed quite a bit, helped by the 5-under 67 the 30-year-old McNealy shot in Thursday’s opening round to give him a share of the lead with Sahith Theegala, Lee Hodges and Sepp Straka, who’s 26-under par in the past four Players Championships. Austin Smotherman was also 5-under through 17 holes when play was suspended.
“This is my fifth or something [sixth] Players, and it’s probably in the top three courses on Tour for me,’’ McNealy said. “Every time I play a Pete Dye golf course, I think I like it more.’’
TPC Sawgrass is the most iconic of all the courses the creative and diabolical Dye designed.
“It’s one of those unique tests where it doesn’t favor any particular type of game, and it’s definitely not one that you stand up on the tee and try and swing as hard as you can,’’ McNealy said. “The shot value is really important. You’ve got to hit every club in your bag, every shape imaginable. I think that’s what people love to see professionals do with their golf ball. There’s a lot of the game that has to be shaped in the air, and I think Pete is a master at that.’’
McNealy, whose father, Scott, is the billionaire co-founder of Sun Microsystems, posted his 67 out of the morning wave of tee times, with the opening round halted for 21 minutes while an electrical storm passed through the area around mid-day.
“It was a mixed bag of everything,’’ he said of the varying weather. “It felt like four different seasons out there.’’
Hodges, Straka and Theegala posted their 67s out of the afternoon wave to tie McNealy’s lead.
Justin Thomas, Russell Henley and Taylor Moore are 4-under. Tony Finau, Ludvig Åberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele and Cam Young are all 3-under.
It’s a stout leaderboard, but some of the biggest names in the game, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to name a couple, are lagging behind.
Scheffler didn’t look to be on his game, but still scratched out an even-par 72 in a round that probably could have been four or five shots worse. But the No. 1 player in the world for more than the past three years held it together to remain well in contention.
“I did some good things [with] the weather changing out there, but overall I felt like I gave away some shots,’’ Scheffler said. “Hoping to clean it up a little bit the next few days. Just got to be a little sharper.’’
McIlroy, the defending Players and Masters champion and No. 2-ranked player in the world, didn’t look sharp, struggling off the tee with a number of shots missing left.
But the fact that McIlroy was even playing was encouraging considering he withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational right before his third-round tee time last Saturday with a back injury and didn’t arrive to TPC Sawgrass until Wednesday afternoon.
Without a practice round and without having hit drivers before Thursday’s round, McIlroy posted a 2-over 74.
“Overall, it was fine,’’ McIlroy said. “I got a little bit tired at the end of the day, [but] it was actually fine. I felt unbelievably rusty out there. I’m glad I got through the round. Hopefully tonight goes well and I’ll get out there [Friday]. I was trying to just get back to even par for the day on that back nine [and] couldn’t quite get there.
“If I can go out and shoot a good one tomorrow, I feel like I’ll be right in it for the weekend.’’
McIlroy, en route to winning the Players last year, played the par-5s in 8-under. On Thursday, he was 1-over on them. That’ll be an area he’ll try to clean up Friday.
Henley was delighted with his finish.
“I’ll take 4-under par here any day,’’ he said. “I find this place visually intimidating.’’
Finau, asked what his “relationship to Pete Dye’s design’’ is, said, “After today’s round, if you’re just asking that, we’ve got a good relationship.’’
Same as McNealy.
English (US)