Glover at head of pack after others struggle with spiteful Sawgrass

The 45-year-old finishes six under par and says he had to 'rein in being too aggressive'

- Ewan Murray

It is never wise to be seduced by the picture perfect surroundings at Sawgrass. This is a venue which continues to spit up and chew out the finest golfers in the world. Day one of this year's Players Championship reverted very much to type.

Viktor Hovland slumped to an 80. Max Homa fared just one shot better. Tony Finau? 76. Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Thomas had matching 78s. Thomas produced two birdies in his closing two holes for that total. Fitzpatrick, by contrast, finished triple bogey, double bogey. The Yorkshireman's afternoon was hardly improved by the call to undertake a post-round doping test.

The game looks like a struggle for Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion. Whether he can make a Ryder Cup return at Bethpage later this year is already open to question. Fitzpatrick is grasping for something even approaching positive momentum.