World No 1 Scottie Scheffler endured a frustrating opening round at The Players Championship, carding a level-par 72 that left him dissatisfied with his tee shots and short game. The four-time major champion struggled with consistency, mixing four birdies with four bogeys during his round at TPC Sawgrass. Scheffler's decision to switch drivers mid-tournament highlighted his ongoing equipment struggles.

Scheffler reverted to his trusted TaylorMade Qi10 driver after struggling with the new Qi4D model at Bay Hill. "I haven't been able to trust it in all the different shots that I hit, especially off the tee," he explained, citing issues with the driver's draw bias affecting his ability to shape shots. The American lost strokes both off the tee and around the greens, missing 50% of fairways in his previous tournament.

Meanwhile, playing partner Tommy Fleetwood surged into contention with a remarkable stretch of scoring. The FedExCup champion eagled the par-five 16th before birdieing three of the next four holes, carding a 69 to sit near the top of the leaderboard. Fleetwood's hot streak came after struggling with green speeds throughout the day, leaving several putts short.