Rookie sensation Chandler Phillips stuns TPC Sawgrass, becoming the first to sink three eagles in one round

Golf history was rewritten at THE PLAYERS Championship as Chandler Phillips pulled off a feat no golfer had ever achieved before—sinking three eagles in a single round at TPC Sawgrass. The 28-year-old PGA TOUR rookie, playing in his first-ever PLAYERS Championship, left fans and commentators stunned as he delivered an electrifying performance that will be remembered for years to come.

Phillips, who had yet to post a top-25 finish this season, started the opening round with no signs of what was to come. But once he found his rhythm, the Texas A&M alum carved his name into tournament history.

His first eagle came on the par-5 16th hole. A flawless 231-yard second shot left him with a daunting 38-foot putt, but he drained it with pinpoint accuracy. That shot alone was enough to turn heads, but Phillips was far from done. At the par-5 second, he pulled off a moment of sheer magic, chipping in from a staggering 71 feet.

However, the round wasn’t all smooth sailing. A disastrous triple-bogey at the par-3 eighth threatened to unravel his momentum. A wayward tee shot forced him into a penalty drop, and an unfortunate bunker miscue made recovery impossible.

Yet, instead of crumbling under pressure, Phillips roared back in style. On his final hole of the day, the par-5 ninth, he launched a monstrous 301-yard second shot, setting himself up just four feet from the pin. With nerves of steel, he sank the putt, etching his name into the tournament’s record books.

Despite the triple-bogey setback, Phillips ended his round with a 4-under 68, placing him just two shots behind the co-leaders—Lucas Glover, J.J. Spaun, and Camilo Villegas. His remarkable performance made him the talk of TPC Sawgrass, overshadowing even some of the tournament favourites.

Phillips, who finished 94th in the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings to retain his full PGA TOUR status for 2025, arrived at THE PLAYERS with little fanfare. Ranked 162nd in the season-long FedExCup standings, his struggles had kept him out of the spotlight. That changed in an instant with his historic three-eagle round.

With tournament play still unfolding, all eyes are now on Phillips. Can he carry this momentum forward and pull off an even greater shock by contending for the title? If his fearless approach to the game is any indication, the golf world may not have seen the last of his headline-making performances.

For now, he’s the man who pulled off what no one else had in over 40 years of THE PLAYERS—three eagles in a single round. That’s a record even the biggest names in golf have never touched.