Avid gamers Championship: Lucas Glover, Camilo Villegas lead box; Rory McIlroy one stroke again

The Avid gamers Championship grew to become again the clock to the overdue 2000s on Thursday, with 2009 U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover and 2008 Excursion Championship winner Camilo Villegas main the sphere at Sawgrass at -6, along side J.J. Spaun. Rory McIlroy, along side TGL stalwarts Min Woo Lee and Billy Horschel, stood one stroke again at -5, adopted through a whole cavalcade of gamers at -4.Glover paced the sphere with an up-and-down spherical that ended spectacularly — 4 instantly birdies at the ultimate 4 holes — and will get a excellent relaxation till his afternoon Friday tee time. “I deep down imagine I will nonetheless compete out right here at 45,” he stated after his spherical, “and I do not wish to forestall anytime quickly.”On the different finish of the leaderboard, some spectacular names grew to become in some less-than-impressive ratings. Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Thomas completed the day at +6, Max Homa at +7 and Viktor Hovland at an unpleasant +8, a complete 80 strokes at the day. Maximum, understandably, declined to touch upon their rounds once they wrapped.Lucas Glover may just manage to pay for to appear comfortable, he is main The Avid gamers. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire by means of Getty Pictures)Icon Sportswire by means of Getty Pictures”The object about this position is, there is at all times some in point of fact excellent ratings and at all times some in point of fact unhealthy ratings,” Glover stated. “It is razor skinny. The margins are razor skinny right here, akin to mention Augusta or Bay Hill. You get off just a bit, you’ll be able to make giant numbers in a rush.”Various unsatisfied gamers may just attest to that Thursday. Sawgrass’ famed Island Inexperienced claimed its proportion of sufferers, like Max Greyserman, who quadruple-bogeyed the opening:From T55 to T121 in a single gap.Max Greyserman makes a quadruple bogey 7 on No. 17. percent.twitter.com/zYvaurLM7Q— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 13, 2025But in all probability no person exemplified the up-and-down nature of The Avid gamers somewhat like Justin Thomas, who plummeted from an early tie for the lead the entire means all the way down to the ground reaches of the leaderboard after going double-triple on 17 and 18:T1 ➡️ T56 in a three-hole span.Volatility early at TPC Sawgrass. percent.twitter.com/gcHwkewOF8— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 13, 2025On the opposite finish of the “the rest can occur” spectrum, imagine Chandler Philips, who carded 3 eagles at the day en path to enjoying the 4 par-5s at a complete of -7. He completed the day at -4, capping off a spherical that marked the primary time a participant had 3 eagles on the Avid gamers since 1983.Protecting champion Scottie Scheffler saved himself within the combine with a four-birdie, one-bogey spherical of -3 that left him 3 strokes again of the leaders. Scheffler, McIlroy and Xander Schauffele (E) will tee off at 8:24 ET on Friday morning.