The Players Championship 2026 Leaderboard: Maverick McNealy Leads Round 1, Morikawa Withdraws, McIlroy Tees Off Late at TPC Sawgrass
Round 1 of the 2026 Players Championship is underway at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with Maverick McNealy holding the early clubhouse lead on a drama-filled Thursday. Collin Morikawa has already withdrawn, Rory McIlroy played through a back injury scare, and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is hunting his third Players title in the morning wave. The $25 million purse — the largest in PGA Tour history — is up for grabs through Sunday, March 15.
Players Championship 2026 Leaderboard: Round 1 Early Leaders
Early leaders in Round 1 of the Players Championship 2026 are Maverick McNealy and Tommy Fleetwood, who both made quick work of the opening holes at TPC Sawgrass. All eyes remain on defending champion Rory McIlroy and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as the afternoon wave makes its way through Pete Dye's famous layout.
| Position | Player | Round 1 Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maverick McNealy | Leading |
| T1 | Tommy Fleetwood | Leading |
| — | Scottie Scheffler | In progress |
| — | Rory McIlroy | In progress |
| WD | Collin Morikawa | Withdrew |
Rory McIlroy Back Injury: The Biggest Story at TPC Sawgrass
McIlroy called himself a game-time decision on Wednesday after the same back issue that knocked him out of last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational flared up again, preventing him from practicing until a late Wednesday arrival at Sawgrass. He cleared the medical threshold Thursday morning.
His 1:42 PM ET tee time was pushed back 30 minutes to 2:12 PM ET following a weather delay, but he is in the field and competing. The defending champion is attempting to become just the third three-time winner of the Players Championship, alongside Jack Nicklaus and Scottie Scheffler.
Collin Morikawa Withdraws After One Hole
Collin Morikawa withdrew from the Players Championship after playing just one hole. No further medical details were immediately provided. Morikawa had been considered one of the contenders at a venue that rewards precise iron play — a signature of his game — making the early exit one of the biggest shocks of the opening round.
Scottie Scheffler at TPC Sawgrass: Iron Play Under the Microscope
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler teed off in the morning wave alongside Fleetwood and Thomas. He enters what observers are calling a relative rough patch by his standards, with iron play identified as the soft spot heading into Pete Dye's ultimate test of precision.
TPC Sawgrass demands relentless accuracy on approach shots, and any weakness in a player's iron game is brutally exposed across all 18 holes. Scheffler is seeking his third Players Championship title, having won in 2023 and 2024, and is the heavy favorite to convert that into a third trophy.
Players Championship 2026 Purse: $25 Million, $4.5 Million to the Winner
The Players Championship carries a $25 million purse this year — the largest in PGA Tour history — with the winner's share set at $4.5 million. The tournament runs March 12 through 15 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with the island green at the par-3 17th poised to deliver its usual drama before the week is done.
Where to Watch The Players Championship 2026 on TV and Streaming
In the United States, Golf Channel and NBC provide live television coverage across all four competition days, with streaming available via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+. In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports Golf broadcasts the tournament live throughout the week.
Golf Channel's live TV coverage runs from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET daily, with streaming available on PGA Tour Live via ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 AM ET each morning. The final round on Sunday, March 15, shifts to NBC for primetime coverage of the climactic finish on the Stadium Course.
