Day 1: Surprises-a-plenty
By T.J. Auclair, PGATOUR.COM Interactive Producer
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- You can't always expect the unexpected. If you expected everything, nothing would be unexpected.
Confusing? Yes. But then again so is the leaderboard after Thursday's first round of the 35th PLAYERS Championship.
The top spot is occupied by Spain's Sergio Garcia after a devilish 6-under-par 66 -- not so unexpected given his runner-up finish in 2007. But it might be unexpected if he goes on to win, given that just Sandy Lyle in 1987 is the only European to have won at TPC Sawgrass.
Back to Thursday, though. What are we to make of the names Kenny Perry (4 under), Paul Goydos (4 under), Steve Elkington (3 under) and Fred Couples (2 under)? Is this the 2008 PLAYERS, or the 1998 PLAYERS? Those four veterans -- Couples and Elkington are both multiple winners here at TPC Sawgrass -- are within four shots of the lead.
All four are on the back nine of their respective PGA TOUR careers, yet they're performing like the group of surging 20-somethings has in 2008. And don't think for a minute that they can't win.
Too old, you say? Not so. Fred Funk won at the tender age of 48 in 2005. Maybe the old guns still have a shot or two left in them.
And how about the names Heath Slocum, Ian Poulter, Niclas Fasth, Todd Hamilton, John Merrick, Nicholas Thompson and Kevin Stadler, all on the first page of the leaderboard?
Hamilton is the lone major winner in that group, though Stadler has one in the family, compliments of papa Walrus at the 1982 Masters.
Slocum is looking for his first win since 2005, while Poulter, Fasth, Merrick, Thompson and Stadler are all in search of their maiden TOUR win.
And then another unexpected development: Paul Goydos shooting a 68. After all, in 28 previous rounds at TPC Sawgrass, he had never seen the pleasant side of 70. And in his previous four rounds here, he was a cumulative 20-over par.
If you're looking for some normalcy, try defending champion Phil Mickelson and reigning U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera, who are among a large group bunched at 2 under and will surely have some say before this tournament is over.
"This is a course where you really want to be patient and not try to force birdies but try to take advantage of the birdie holes and the par-5s especially," Mickelson said. "I think that if you make a lot of pars out here, you're not going to be losing much ground, and a birdie here or there scattered in will help make up ground. Again, this is a course where nobody is going to go low and take off and run away with the thing."
So far, the leaderboard is as unpredictable as a tee shot into swirling winds at the island green 17th. That's the beauty of a place like TPC Sawgrass. It will identify the best player at week's end, but it can't be written in stone that there's truly a horse for this particular course.
ROUND OF THE DAY: Has to be Sergio Garcia's 6-under 66. Garcia, who finished alone in second last year, had seven birdies in the opening round. The key stat for Garcia was his 16-of-18 greens in regulation.
The Spaniard has always been noted for his incredible ball-striking ability, while typically it's the short stick that lets him down.
He did have one three-putt on Thursday -- at No. 8 where he made his lone bogey of the day from 60 feet.
SHOT OF THE DAY I: Rich Beem, winner of the 2002 PGA Championship, wowed the early risers at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday with a remarkable eagle-2 at the 431-yard par-4 seventh hole -- the first on that hole in the history of THE PLAYERS. After a 300-yard drive, Beem had about 130 yards left to the pin and holed his approach with a wedge.
The eagle came in rather handy for Beemer, as he wound up with an even-par 72, more than two strokes lower than his career average at TPC Sawgrass.
SHOT OF THE DAY II: D.J. Trahan's magnificent 3-wood approach from 261 yards to the 586-yard ninth hole. The ball settled just three feet from the cup, setting up an eagle on the monster par 5.
It was Trahan's last hole of the day, which will make dinner taste delicious, as he carded a 2-under-par 70.
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EXCHANGE OF THE DAY: PGA TOUR rookie Dustin Johnson received a text message Thursday morning, informing him that as a result of Trevor Immelman's withdrawal, he was now in the field for the 35th PLAYERS Championship.
Following his respectable 1-over 73, Johnson spoke to reporters and the following exchange ensued:
Q. Who sent you that text message telling you --
JOHNSON: PGA TOUR.
Q. What time was that?
JOHNSON: Like 7 o'clock.
Q. It was just PGA TOUR? Which person?
JOHNSON: No, they have a text messaging program where they send it to all the players.
| 372 | The distance in yards that J.B. Holmes drove the ball on the first hole, the longest drive of the day. |
| 26 | The number of rounds under par in the morning wave. |
| 8 | The number of rounds under par in the afternoon wave. |
Q. Does it just say, "You're playing?"
JOHNSON: No, it gave me my tee time and who I was playing with.
Q. It didn't say, "Congratulations, you're in?" What exactly does it say? What does it read?
JOHNSON: It gives you your round 1 tee time and your round 2 tee time and who you're playing with.
Q. Does it use text message language?
JOHNSON: No.
Doesn't that just make you want to LOL?
LOOKING AHEAD: Four points to ponder going into Friday's second round:
• Scores should soar as the round wears on -- and that won't bode well for the players currently sitting among the leaders with afternoon tee times, including Sergio Garcia, Kenny Perry and Steve Elkington. Along with temperatures in the high 80s, the wind is expected to top off around 25 mph in the afternoon. That should make for some fun decision-making for players and caddies on No. 17.
• Don't write off Nicholas Thompson, John Merrick, or Kevin Stadler. These are young players who haven't won yet on the PGA TOUR, but they've got plenty of game. Thompson and Merrick should be particularly comfortable with their pairing, as they're together, with another young player in Jeff Overton filling out the threesome. But, a 12:48 p.m. tee time could be a disadvantage if the wind kicks up. Stadler is also playing in the afternoon, joining Ryan Moore and Jason Bohn -- two players who have played great in the last two weeks.
• Be warned, Anthony Kim is the real deal and could make a serious charge in the second round. Just days after winning his first TOUR event at the Wachovia Championship, Kim put together a fine opening round of 2-under 70. That, along with his 8:33 a.m. tee time in what is forecasted to be relatively benign conditions compared to what the boys will face in the afternoon, means that Kim has the opportunity to post a low "statement round" early.
• Finally, look for Adam Scott to bounce back after Thursday's 3-over 75. That wasn't a Scott-like round, particularly with a win and a tie for eighth in the last two weeks. It could have been much worse were it not for his five birdies. And he's another guy that should benefit from an early tee time.
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