TPC Sawgrass is that old buddy who buys you a drink, pats you on the back, then tells embarrassing stories about you to the entire bar! Friday’s 2025 PLAYERS Championship was a beautiful bloodbath as the course gleefully chewed up and spat out five of golf’s biggest stars before the weekend even started. The Pete Dye masterpiece was in rare form, tearing up pre-tournament predictions like an overdue credit card bill and leaving top-ranked players shaking their heads on the long walk to their private jets.

With the cut line settling at a tough -1, several household names found themselves with an unexpected weekend off. Let’s dive into the five most shocking exits and see exactly what went wrong for these players, who many fans were backing for the win.

Ludvig Åberg’s triple bogey nightmare

Ludvig Åberg, world number five and a pre-tournament favorite, started off looking like the real deal with a solid first-round 71 (-1). Everything seemed right on track for the talented Swede. But then Friday happened, and, wow, did things fall apart quickly!

Åberg’s second round was a complete disaster—a 75 (+3) featuring two double bogeys and a brutal triple bogey on the par-5 16th, where his ball took a swim. The stats tell the story here: despite absolutely crushing it off the tee (ranking first in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in round one), his short game completely abandoned him, ranking a miserable 134th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. At +2 overall, he missed the cut by three strokes and probably couldn’t pack his bags fast enough.

Viktor Hovland’s continued frustrations

Viktor Hovland has been having a rough time lately, and TPC Sawgrass hasn’t offered any comfort. Missing his third straight cut this season, the former FedEx Cup champion opened with a catastrophic 80 (+8) that honestly ended his tournament before he even had lunch on Thursday.

That first round was brutal—dead last in putting and nearly last in driving accuracy. Can you imagine making two double bogeys (on holes 15 and 6) and then adding a triple bogey on the 5th hole, all in the same round? He lost over 3 strokes off the tee and more than 4 strokes on the greens in just one day! His impressive second-round 68 (-4) with seven birdies showed some fight, but let’s be real—after that opening round, he was just playing for pride at +4 overall.

Justin Rose’s one-stroke heartbreak

Justin Rose experienced the cruelest of fates at TPC Sawgrass, missing the cut by just a single stroke. The former world number one started promisingly with a solid first-round 71 (-1) that had him positioned inside the projected cut line and looking comfortable. But what golf gives, golf takes away.

Rose’s tournament fortunes turned during his second round when he posted a 73 (+1), with most of the damage coming late. After holding a solid position for much of the day, the Englishman stumbled down the stretch, dropping three critical shots in his final seven holes. Despite battling until the end and managing to card a birdie on his final hole, the damage was done. With the cut line established at -1, Rose’s two-day total of even-par 144 left him on the wrong side by the slimmest of margins.

Max Homa’s troubling tailspin continues

Max Homa can’t catch a break right now. After missing his fourth straight cut on Tour, finishing at +6, it’s hard to believe this is the same player who was ranked fifth in the world not too long ago. His ranking has now plummeted to 70th during a slump that just won’t end.

His tournament was basically over after a nightmare 79 (+7) in round one that featured four bogeys and two double bogeys. That front nine on Thursday? A brutal 42 that had him playing catch-up from the start. His approach play was the main culprit—losing four strokes on approach in the first round alone. And his driving? Well, hitting just four fairways in round two while ranking T-138 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green tells you everything. His second-round 71 (-1) was better, but by then, the damage was done.

Matt Fitzpatrick’s stunning reversal of fortune

Matt Fitzpatrick might be wondering what happened to the TPC Sawgrass course he finished fifth on just last year. Now outside the world’s top 60 (after being 11th a year ago), the former U.S. Open champion finished at a disappointing +6.

His tournament fell apart during Thursday’s back nine. After playing the front at a respectable even par, his round completely imploded with two doubles and a triple bogey on the back, resulting in a 42 and a 78 (+6) total. Despite a more stable second round of 72 (even par), the first-round damage was too severe. His driving was a mess, ranking 138th in Strokes Gained. Off-the-Tee, and his scrambling wasn’t any better, converting just 5 of 13 opportunities (38%) and ranking T-137.

Other golfers like Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Rasmus Højgaard, Tony Finau, and Nick Dunlap also missed the cut. These disappointing performances just show how TPC Sawgrass can humble even the world’s best. As we head toward the heart of the major season, these players have some serious questions to answer about their games. Will they bounce back quickly, or are these missed cuts just the tip of the iceberg? What do you think—which of these stars will recover fastest from their Sawgrass nightmare?