Big Names Struggle Early On At Players Championship
Viktor Hovland, Max Homa and Justin Thomas all struggled badly in the early stages of the first round at the Players Championship


Three big names continued their struggles in 2025 with Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas and Max Homa all having difficult starts to the Players Championship.
Thomas finished birdie-birdie but still carded a bitterly disappointing opening round of 78, while his six over par was at least better than Hovland's 80.
Homa has endured a torried start to 2025 and that looks likely to continue, as the American was six over for his first nine holes before adding two more bogeys early in his back nine during his round of 79.
Thomas won the Players Championship in 2021 and had a couple of positive results this year to build confidence heading to TPC Sawgrass, but that disappeared on just two holes.
Starting on the 10th tee, the two-time PGA Championship winner negotiated his first seven holes in two under, before coming apart at the 17th and 18th on the Stadium Course.
Thomas found the water on the iconic par-3 17th hole and again on the intimidating closing hole at TPC Sawgrass, which cost him back-to-back double bogeys.
A third double bogey followed at the fifth during a disastrous run that saw him go bogey-double-bogey-bogey to lose five shots in a four-hole run that could have cost him a shot at making the weekend already.
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Thomas fought back well though, picking up birdies at the eighth and ninth to at least finish the day with hope that he can turn things around on Friday.
Hovland has been his own worst critic over the last year or so, and having missed back-to-back cuts before the Players that criticism looked valid.
Like Thomas, Hovland had three disastrous holes, with two double bogeys and a triple bogey blighting his card - but unlike the American the Norwegian could not find a late response as he signed for an 80.
Hovland hit a triple-bogey seven on the fifth and followed it with a double-bogey six on the sixth as two wide right drives ended up costing him five shots.
Homa turned in 42 after two bogeys and two double bogeys, before adding two more coming home as he continued the struggles that have seen him miss the cut in three of his last four events.
He did at least manage his first and only birdie of the day on 16 to make sure he broke 80, but shooting 79 will be scant consolation after another poor round in the books.
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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