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Top Stories after Day 1 of the Players Championship

By Sean McCann

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Adam Scott of Australia watches his shot from the 11th tee during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 10, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Adam Scott of Australia watches his shot from the 11th tee during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 10, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The start to the 2022 Players Championship did not start how most people had hoped, but following an over 4-hour rain delay, the weather cleared up and the golfers started scoring, and while some in the field haven’t even had a chance to hit their first tee shot, there was still plenty to talk about on Day 1. Unfamiliar faces, surprising rounds, and it wouldn’t be the Players Championship without talking about the notorious 17th hole.

Players Championship, THE PLAYERS, PGA, TPC Sawgrass
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 10: Kramer Hickok of the United States watches his shot from the 11th tee during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 10, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Rise of Kramer Hickok

I’m sure many fans looked at the leaderboard and saw a list of familiar names, but one may have raised some question marks. Kramer Hickok, the 29-year-old American from the University of Texas, fired a surprising 5-under 67 and finds himself T-3 after Day 1. The World No. 143 was consistent all day; with 5 birdies and 0 bogeys, Hickok was an early surprise to start the week and has put the rest of the tour on notice. What’s still left to be discovered is if Hickok can follow up his outstanding performance with another strong round Friday.

Related Story. Viktor Hovland shows his emotions during painful finish at PLAYERS. light

Players Championship, The PLAYERS, PGA, TPC Sawgrass
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 10: Harold Varner III of the United States lines up a putt with caddie Chris Rice on the 13th green during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 10, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Hole #17 claims more scorecards

Surprise, surprise, another year means more of the world’s top golfers see their round ruined by the Island Green. Take Harold Varner for example, the World No. 48 was leading at -7 going into the 17th hole, but after finding the water off the tee, he finished the hole with a triple-bogey. This dropped him down the leaderboard, and a bogey on the18th didn’t help either. By the end of the day, Varner was the only golfer in the field to find the water on the 17th, although I’m sure more will come on Day 2.

Players Championship, The PLAYERS, PGA, TPC Sawgrass
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 10: Adam Scott of Australia plays his shot from the 11th tee during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 10, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Disaster for Adam Scott

I previously talked about how strong Adam Scott was on the 17th hole last year, and while that didn’t change this year, it did on almost every other hole. The Australian fired a +7 (39-39-78) and finds himself at the very bottom of the leaderboard. Scott’s round included a nightmare 8 on the par 4 18th after finding the water from his tee shot.

Many thought that the veteran, who always seems to show up on the big stage, would at least be in the hunt. But now Scott will need a seemingly perfect round on Friday if he wants to be near the cut line. Oh, and maybe a bit of luck too.

Next. Tommy Fleetwood Tops Rain-Delayed Players. dark

While Day 1 didn’t see the end of Round 1, it certainly had its’ fair share of headlines. In a tournament notorious for drama, emotion, and heroics, it’s safe the say that these next 3 days will not disappoint. Each day will have a fresh slate of stories to follow, although I’m sure the drama on 17 won’t change much throughout the week.

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