A brief but surprising delay caused havoc at TPC Sawgrass.

The first round of the PLAYERS Championship 2026 saw a short stint of precipitation at 12:09 P.M. local time. The broadcast showed that the rain was wild and seemed unstoppable. As the pros were clearing the field, the commentators confirmed that these were just passing clouds and that the action would commence shortly.

Their prediction turned out to be true as PGA Tour Communications confirmed, “The first round of THE PLAYERS Championship resumed at 12:30 p.m., a delay of 21 minutes. Tee times for the afternoon wave are delayed 30 minutes.”

It only took 21 minutes for the rain to clear and the fairway to be in playable condition again. As the whistle blew, Jordan Spieth & Co. must have been relieved that they didn’t lose much time to bad weather.

Well, the rainfall wasn’t that unexpected, as the weather report already predicted it. The first round of play showed a 60% chance of precipitation and thunderstorms from 12 P.M. onwards. The wind speed was also anticipated to increase, with the pros expected to see gusts of up to 24 mph.

Notably, the weather isn’t expected to any better. From 2 P.M. onwards, the probability of rainfall and thunderstorms is expected to go up to 90%. Hence, the first round of the PLAYERS Championship might see more delays as the round continues.

That said, bad weather at TPC Sawgrass in March is not a rare phenomenon. The spectators in Florida expect to get drenched when they attend the tournament at this time of the year.

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Jordan Spieth & Co. must be used to rainfall at TPC Sawgrass every year

Ever since the PLAYERS Championship moved to TPC Sawgrass, its biggest problem has been poor weather. The tournament has always been hosted in March. Unfortunately, it has proved to be a very bad month to play an outdoor sporting event. Especially one that can’t be played under the rain.

The pros experienced the drawbacks of the same at a critical stage last season. Rory McIlroy & J.J. Spaun were fighting it out to secure the title on Championship Sunday in 2025. However, their momentum was put on hold after rain and lightning caused major delays.

The final round of the event was delayed by four hours, causing a lot of chaos on Sunday. While McIlroy didn’t lose his rhythm, Spaun ended up struggling a bit after the precipitation.

Furthermore, they were also tied after 72 holes. But due to the delays, there wasn’t enough light at the end of the day to carry out the playoffs. Hence, the tournament had to be pushed back to Monday to decide who the winner.

It played in McIlroy’s favor, as he ended up lifting the title while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Interestingly, the Grand Slam champion won the PLAYERS Championship title for the first time on the same Irish holiday in 2019.