'Hulk' DeChambeau 6th "Already Marching to 3 Wins"... Garcia Leads at 7 Under "Did You See Two Eagles?"

The Players Day 1: 3-Under Par Tied 6th, Herman 5-Under Par 2nd, An Byeonghun Suffers Critical 'Octuple Bogey' on 17th Hole

'Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau is reading the putting line on the 6th hole on the first day of The Players. Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz Photo by Getty Images

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ‘The Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau (USA) has already started his ‘march to 3 wins.’

On the 12th (Korean time), at the PGA Tour’s ‘5th Major’ The Players Championship (total prize money $15 million) held at Sawgrass TPC in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (par 72, 7,189 yards), he posted a 3-under-par on the first day and stood tied for 6th place. Sergio Garcia (Spain) leads at 7-under, with Brian Harman (USA) chasing in 2nd place at 5-under 67, two strokes behind. World No.1 Dustin Johnson (USA) remained tied for 60th at 1-over par.

DeChambeau recorded six birdies and three bogeys. After two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine, he was stagnant, but momentum picked up with ‘stepping stone birdies’ on holes 10 and 12 on the back nine. A third shot bogey on the 13th hole (par 3) was recovered with consecutive birdies on holes 16 and 17. With a maximum drive of 333 yards, a green hit rate of 77.78%, and an average of 1.79 putts per hole, his shot form from winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which ended on the 8th, seems alive. Four strokes behind the leader, the second round has become crucial.

DeChambeau’s par on the 18th hole (par 4) with ‘2-on 2-putt’ is interesting. It is a signature hole with a lake on the left of the fairway, and trees, bunkers, and rough on the right. Crossing the water to the 9th hole (par 5) leads to a relatively wider fairway, from where a wedge shot can reach the 18th hole. Right after the practice round, he said, “Targeting the 9th hole side is also effective,” explaining his reasoning. The organizers responded by designating the left side of the lake as an out-of-bounds (OB) area to block this strategy.

It is worth noting that DeChambeau became a major champion at the US Open last September. At the ‘Devil’s Course’ Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York, he was the only player to score under par (6-under 274). After bulking up by 18 kg last year, he transformed into the longest hitter on the PGA Tour and is reaping the benefits of his ‘long drive effect.’ Currently, he ranks first in the 2021 season money list ($4,477,017) and also leads the FedEx Cup (PO) points ranking with 1,375 points.

Sergio Garcia is teeing off on the 18th hole on the first day of The Players. Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

Garcia made two eagles on the 16th and 9th holes (both par 5s). Both holes were ‘2-on 1-putt.’ Among the leaders, Matthew Fitzpatrick is tied for 3rd at 4-under, and Lee Westwood (both from England), who was defeated by DeChambeau at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, joined the tie for 6th, dreaming of revenge. Defending champion Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) struggled unexpectedly, dropping to a tie for 139th at 7-over par, including a quadruple bogey on the 18th hole (par 4).

Korea’s Kim Si-woo (26), Im Sung-jae (23), and Lee Kyung-hoon (30) are all tied for 42nd at even par. Kim Si-woo is also a 2017 champion and is aiming for his second win after capturing the American Express in January. Kang Sung-hoon is tied for 112th at 4-over, and An Byeong-hun (30, both from CJ Logistics) is tied for 150th at 11-over. An Byeong-hun suffered a critical blow on the 17th hole (par 3), where he fell into the water four times, resulting in an octuple bogey with ‘9-on 2-putt.’

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.