The Players 2021 Day One: Sergio Garcia Has All The Answers

The Stadium Course at The Players Championship can be brutal and unforgiving but for Sergio Garcia, it’s one of his two favorite golf courses in the world.

Sergio’s love for the diabolical Pete Dye layout was evident on Thursday as the 2008 champion shot a flawless, seven-under par 65 that left the rest of the field looking up at him.

How good was Sergio’s round?  Consider that he clipped playing partner Rory McIlroy by a whopping 14 shots.  Sergio was the best of the best on day one, Rory was among the worst of the worst.

“This course, you don’t have to be that far off to get penalized a lot. It happens,” Garcia said after watching McIlroy hit too many shots that were a lot off.  “Just a little bit off and just missed a couple of birdies, feels like you’re not making any ground, you try to force things a little bit and, obviously, unfortunately for him it bit him a little bit,” Sergio said of Rory’s tough day.  He was being kind, McIlroy got bit a lot.

But Garcia, who has also had three runner-ups at The Players, made his way around without a bogey, playing in the morning wave.  “The greens were much softer than expected. Nice to be able to go out there and hit a few greens; It’s great to be back here,” said Garcia, who pointed out that the Stadium Course and Valderrama in Spain are “my two favorites.”

While so many struggled, Sergio was all smiles after his day’s work.  “It’s the kind of course I like, I’m very pleased with the result.”

For the record, Sergio hit 10 of 14 fairways, 15 of 18 greens and putted just 29 times.

The only player who got close to him was diminutive lefty, Brian Harman.  After three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine, Harman dominated the final nine holes with five birdies coming home for a five-under par 67 that put him in solo second.

It was a perfect day, sunny, not too hot and enough wind, around 10 miles per hour, to get everyone’s attention.

Bryson “The Show” DeChambeau Shoots 69:

By day’s end, just 10 players managed to break 70 and distance-obsessed, rules-arguing, protein shake-chugging, driver-smashing, U.S. Open winning, Arnold Palmer red cardigan-wearing Bryson DeChambeau was one of them.  The Tour paired the three major winners together, putting DeChambeau in an afternoon threesome with Masters champ Dustin Johnson and PGA winner Collin Morikawa.

DeChambeau outplayed his partners.  He hit driver, nine-iron into the par five 16th and made birdie then stuck his tee shot at the testy 17th to 13 feet and made that for another birdie.  At the 18th, he went strategic — he hit four-iron off the tee (257 yards) then used seven-iron from 216 for his approach.  A nice two-putt from 42 feet gave him a three-under 69 and put him in the top six.

Bryson summed up the task facing the field pretty well after his round.  “Every single hole is a daunting task.  You gotta hit greens, you gotta hit fairways.”

Testy Day For World’s One And Two:

Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm (world’s No. 1 and 2) found the going tough all day.  Both were off their games, looking like they had their “C” games.  Rahm had a nice back nine and birdies at 15, 16 and 17 got him to one-under for the day but a finishing bogey left him at even par 72.

D.J. turned in even par but made double at the par five 11th.  He made up for it with a 14-foot eagle putt at the short par five 16 but a closing bogey left him tied for 60th at one-over par.

Three Tied At 68:

Matt Fitzpatrick got out early and was closest to Garcia in the morning wave.  He shot a four-under par 68 as did Corey Conners, who contended last week at Bay Hill.  Late in the day, Open champion Shane Lowry joined them at four-under.

Lee Westwood Stays Hot:

Lee Westwood went head-to-head with eventual winner DeChambeau last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  Westwood’s exceptional ball striking was on display again Thursday as he carded a 69 in the morning wave.

By day’s end, it proved a long, difficult day on a course that requires superior ball-striking for success.  It also requires a strategy to put a good score on the board.

It’s been that way since Jerry Pate won on this course back in 1982.

It will be again for the next three days.

Players Championship Scoreboard: