Making first PLAYERS appearance, opens in 4-under 68 at TPC Sawgrass

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Prior to Thursday, no player had made three eagles in a round on record at THE PLAYERS Championship.

THE PLAYERS first-timer Chandler Phillips changed that.

Phillips, a second-year TOUR pro, made an eagle at three of the four par 5s during Round 1 at TPC Sawgrass’ THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, which has hosted more than 17,800 rounds at THE PLAYERS since 1983. In his first round at THE PLAYERS, he quickly made tournament history.

After a triple-bogey 6 at the par-3 eighth, his 17th hole of the day, Phillips closed with a 4-foot eagle at the par-5 ninth to post 4-under 68. It moved him within two strokes of a trio of co-leaders (Lucas Glover, J.J. Spaun and Camilo Villegas) after Thursday’s first round at THE PLAYERS was suspended due to darkness.

Phillips’ first eagle came at the par-5 16th, as he struck a 231-yard second shot to 38 feet and converted the lengthy putt. That moved him to 4-under for the round. He struck again at the par-5 second with a chip-in from 71 feet. The Texas A&M University alum played his next six holes in 4-over – including the triple bogey where he incurred a penalty stroke well left of the eighth green, pitched his third into a greenside bunker and couldn’t get up and down.

He responded quickly at his final hole, the par-5 ninth, with a 301-yard second shot to 4 feet for eagle. It earned him a spot in the history books as well.

Phillips, 28, finished No. 94 on the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings as a PGA TOUR rookie to earn full TOUR status for 2025 and qualify for THE PLAYERS. He entered this week at No. 162 on the season-long FedExCup standings, without a top-25 finish in six starts. After the opening round at TPC Sawgrass, though, he’s in a good position to get his season back on track.