1. From the beginning, at the outset, before anything else. For example, Why didn't you tell me in the first place that you've decided to leave? or He could have bought a new one in the first place. 2.

Is it correct to say in the first place?

You say in the first place when you are talking about the beginning of a situation or about the situation as it was before a series of events.

Which is correct at the first place or in the first place?

In American English, we would say, "In first place, we have Brown; in second, White." (Matching your construction.) Even if someone uses "at," I don't think it would be correct to mix prepositions as he or she has done, but it's spoken English, so it's not especially surprising.