PGA Tour Brunch | The PLAYERS | R-2
Preview of the Second Round of the 2023 PLAYERS Championship
By TERRY LYONS
Note: Due to darkness, the first round was suspended at 6:28pm (ET) with 21 players yet to complete their round. The first round will resume at 7:40am today. The second round will begin at 6:50am (ET) as scheduled.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH - Chad Ramey is one of 32 players making their tournament debut; no first-timer has held the 18-hole lead in the event since 2017 when Mackenzie Hughes accomplished the feat.
Ramey (64) and Collin Morikawa (65) were the only two players in the field without a bogey or worse in the first round
Five of the 11 players T-6 or better are first-timers at THE PLAYERS Championship; those 11 players have made a combined 11 starts at THE PLAYERS. The most? Denny McCarthy with three
Canada’s Taylor Pendrith (T-3) opened with 5-under (67), his low 18-hole score in the event. Pendrith is in his second appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship, and finished T-13 in 2022.
Making his PLAYERS Championship debut, Ben Griffin (T-3) birdied his last three holes (Nos. 7-9) en route to 5-under (67). He’s making his 14th start of the season with his best finish being a T-3 at the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
Justin Suh (T-3) birdied five holes in a six-hole stretch (Nos. 7-12) and sits 5-under thru 15 holes.
Hayden Buckley shot a one-over (73) but aced the 17th on Thursday morning:
The PLAYERS | Partial First Round Leaderboard
Chad Ramey 64 (-8)
Collin Morikawa 65 (-7)
Taylor Pendrith 67 (-5)
Ben Griffin 67 (-5)
Justin Suh -5 thru 15

The PLAYERS | Tournament Facts
COURSE: TPC Sawgrass - THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
YARDS/PAR: 7,256 yards/Par 72
ARCHITECTS: Pete Dye
PRIZE Money - Purse: $25,000,000 with Winner: $4,500,000
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Cameron Smith
PAST RESULTS: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 600
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @THEPLAYERSChamp
How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)
The PLAYERS | The Basics
The Tee Times at TPC Sawgrass will run from 6:50am (ET) to 1:51pm (ET).
Weather: Today’s forecast is for cloudy skies in the morning, turning partly sunny and 72-degrees. Only a 2% chance of rain.
Tournament Web Site: (link)
FedEx Cup Info: (link)
PGA Tour Brunch will post by 6:30am (ET) on Saturday.
The PLAYERS : Tee Times and Leaderboard
Tee Times: (link)
Tournament Leaderboard: (link)
What They’re Saying
Morikawa with promising start at The PLAYERS (PGATourCom)
Chad Ramey Shines (Golf Week/USA Today)
Looking at Round 2 at The PLAYERS (ESPNCom)
McIlroy Shot Opening Round (76) - (ESPNCom)
How to Watch - The PLAYERS | R-2 (PGATourCom)
On This Day in Golf History
March 10, 1963 - Arnold Palmer shot (67) in the final round to win the Pensacola Open. It was part of a great start to the ‘63 PGA Tour season for him when he won three of first seven events he played: Pensacola preceeded by the Los Angeles Open and Phoenix Open in which Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus finished second and third.
Parting Putt
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