PLAYERS Championship, Round 1
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| THE PLAYERS Championship | ||
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By PGATOUR.COM Staff
WRAPPING UP ROUND 1 (7:45 p.m.): The first round of THE PLAYERS Championship is complete and the biggest story of Thursday is a lot like the biggest story of the first round of the Masters this year. Lots of low numbers. Some of that had to do with shorter rough, some of it with less wind.
Time will tell if we end up on some sort of record pace -- though something tells me that we'll be somewhere between last year's single-digit under par winning score and said record pace. Either way, there seems to be a growing trend of conditions that allow players to take more chances and better aim at the flag and we're getting a lot of birdies because of it. That's been the sentiment among players from leader Ben Crane to the guys behind him like Richard S. Johnson and Alex Cejka and if conditions are similar tomorrow you can expect more of the same. -- Brian Wacker
BUBBA BREAKS PAR (7:00 p.m.): Bubba Watson broke par for the first time at THE PLAYERS Championship today, where he just put the finishing touches on a 5-under 67 to sit two shots off the lead.
Watson has only played here twice before, but both times he missed the cut, first with rounds of 77-75 and next with rounds of 76-73.
Thursday, however, he put on a putting display that, coupled with his power and shotmaking, can win this tournament. He needed just 24 putts, which tied for third-best in the field. A week after finishing in a tie for second at Quail Hollow, it looks like Watson might have figured something out. -- Brian Wacker
NO MAGIC FOR MICKELSON (6:25 p.m.): Phil Mickelson has put on a few incredible displays this year, but Thursday wasn't one of them.
He started out well enough with four birdies on the front nine -- which were slightly offset by two bogeys -- but struggled mightily on the back with three bogeys in a four-hole stretch and a fourth bogey on the par-5 16th. A birdie on the difficult 18th was a bittersweet bright spot in a round of 73.
Mickelson hit just half his fairways and only 7 of 18 greens -- neither of which rank inside the top 100 in the field -- and clearly didn't have his best stuff. -- Brian Wacker
NEW LEADER (5:30 p.m.): Ben Crane didn't break or tie the course record at TPC Sawgrass the way it looked like he would at one point Thursday, but his 7-under 65 was good enough to take over the top spot on the leaderboard.
Crane, who started his round on the back nine and was one of the few players to go low in the afternoon wave, started with back-to-back birdies before adding seven more on his round, including four in a row at one point on the front nine.
"This is definitely one of the better putting rounds of my career," said Crane, a notoriously good putter who needed just 22 of them today. "Those greens are immaculate. You get some of those downgrain putts and it just rolls like it's on the hood of your car, just so smooth."
Crane -- and his 14 one-putts -- was pretty smooth, too. -- Brian Wacker
Below is a look at Crane's scorecard from today:
CHECKING IN ON THE CHAMP (4:30 p.m.): Defending champion Sergio Garcia seemed poised to break out of his recent slump when he made birdie on three of his first four holes Thursday.
Not that he thought he deserved to be 3 under, though -- "I was hitting the ball very poorly," Garcia said. He went on to shoot a 1-under 71, hitting just seven fairways and nine greens.
"I know when I'm swinging well and when not," Garcia said. "... Not smooth, my swing, I can't feel it going the right way. Everything seems to be like -- feels like I'm trying to steer everything to make it go the right way and it didn't go the right way today."
Asked if he could pinpoint what was wrong, Garcia said "anything goes. He also knew the Stadium Course was at its most generous on Thursday, which was another cause for frustration.
"The course is playing the easiest than it is going to play all week," he said. "The greens were soft because of the rain last night. And there wasn't a lot of wind. If you play halfway decent you are going to shoot 65, 68, 69." -- Helen Ross
POULTER ON THE RISE (4:15 p.m.): Ian Poulter hasn't played an awful lot this year, so it's been hard for him to gain any momentum.
He's played three of the last four weeks, though, and he's improved with each event -- tying for 20th at the Masters, 13th at New Orleans and fifth last week in Charlotte.
After career-low 67 during Thursday's first round of THE PLAYERS, the colorful Englishman appears bent on continuing the trend.
"I've played one week on, one week off, one week on, one week off, up until just after the Masters," Poulter said. "So it's been kind of hard to get into a routine when you're playing one on and one off. But my game has been in shape since then. I've just felt it's a matter of time.
"We've changed the putter two weeks ago to something that comes off a bit slower. The greens have been very, very quick the last couple weeks. I just feel good. I'm rolling the ball at the hole, and I'm managing to find the back of the hole."
Poulter made six birdies Thursday, including back-to-back at the 16th and 17th. His lone bogey of the day came at the ninth hole where he was distracted by the information displayed one of the big LED scoreboards just before he hit his third shot on the par 5.
"It said Ian Poulter from within 90 yards of the hole, I'm 184th on the rankings, and my average is 27.4 feet," he recalled. "So consequently, you know, I get distracted with what I'm reading on a board and I don't commit to the shot I should be committing to, and I hit a bad shot.
"Those screens are great, but at times I just wish they weren't there. But that's my fault. I probably shouldn't have read it, and I probably shouldn't have taken much notice of it, really, to be honest. But that's frustrating. Par-5s like that where I'm 82 yards out, easy pin location, want to be making 4 and make 6. I feel like I've given two shots away there." -- Helen Ross
ANOTHER WD (3:50 p.m.): Michael Campbell just became the second injury casualty of the day, pulling out with a shoulder injury after nine holes today. Campbell, who won the 2005 U.S. Open, has played in only two TOUR events this year -- the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard and the Masters -- and missed the cut in both of them.
Today, Campbell was 9 over when he withdrew with five bogeys a quadruple-bogey 8 on the seventh hole, where he hit well right off the tee, took a penalty, then hit into another native area before eventually finding the green in 5 and three-putting. -- Brian Wacker
| A sip of Maginnes | |
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MICKELSON MAKES THE TURN (3:30 p.m.): With a late afternoon tee time, Phil Mickelson just made the turn, playing the first nine holes in 2 under. Much like his season, it was a wild nine holes with four birdies -- including three in a row at one point -- and two bogeys. Some other stats from his first nine holes: 4 of 7 fairways hit; 5 of 9 greens in regulation; 14 putts. -- Brian Wacker
Follow Mickelson's round live with Shot Tracker by clicking here.
JOHNSON, MALLINGER CONTINUE TO SHARE LEAD (3:10 p.m.): For a guy who's tied for the lead at THE PLAYERS Championship, Richard S. Johnson seemed pretty relaxed. Not that he shouldn't be, given how he played with a 6-under 66 that featured seven birdies and left him in a tie for the lead with John Mallinger.
When the few media who did come to Johnson's press conference walked in, someone asked where he was. Johnson said while tying his shoes under the desk, "I'm standing up under the desk..on my toes." Johnson, in case you didn't know, is 5-foot-7, and that may be stretching it.
When asked about being a handball champion in his native Sweden -- Johnson played handball, among other things, as a teen -- he said he wouldn't quite call himself a champion. "You've got to jump. That's why I quit, because I had a little height disadvantage in that sport."
He obviously made the right choice and certainly didn't have any disadvantages Thursday when he birdied three of his first six holes and made the turn on the back in 32.
"The three of us in our group were just firing from the first hole," Johnson said. "It wasn't playing that hard out there. There was no wind.
"If you're in the right position, as the pins were today, you can get a lot of short putts because they were in little swales and hollows, so you kind of shoot at them and use the banks to get them close." -- Brian Wacker
Below is a look at Johnson's scorecard from today:
Below is a look at Mallinger's scorecard from today:
TOMS NEAR THE TOP (2:56 p.m.): David Toms didn't know quite what to think when he walked off the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass Thursday having made bogeys on three of his last four holes.
Toms was still 5 under when he finished, one shot off the lead. Through 14 holes, though, the LSU product was 8 under and one stroke off the course record held by Fred Couples and Greg Norman.
"I'm not sure exactly what I feel right now," Toms said. "I'm just glad to get off the golf course. It was going downhill the last few holes. I can attribute that to not being committed on a golf course that you have to be committed to.
"I was obviously making it look pretty easy there for a while, hitting fairways, hitting it on the green, making putts. To be 8-under at any point in a round of golf around here is pretty good playing. "
Toms bogeyed the sixth hole after hitting a 9-iron over the green. He pulled a hybrid into "no-man's land" on the par-3 eighth and he was unable to get up and down at the par-5 ninth.
"A 74-yard bunker shot over another bunker to a back pin is just not a good spot, and I made another bogey," Toms said. "I felt like I was still halfway in control of what I was doing, and I was making bogeys. It shows you the type of golf course it is.
"I have to go out there and regroup for tomorrow and draw on the good stuff I did today and shoot another good round." -- Helen Ross
PATIENCE (2:45 p.m.): Bogan McKeenly, a 14-year-old, blond-haired, mop- topped golf fan, is a patient kid. He's been sitting in the stands above the exit tunnel on 18 for about a half hour, asking players if he could have a ball -- or a hat -- or basically anything they want to give up. So far, he's been shutout, a disappointing 0-for-8. He's come close, however. When Brad Adamonis made the turn there, McKeenley asked for the ball. Adamonis looked down at it, looked back up and said, "nah, I'm doing pretty good with it." The wait continues. -- Mark Spoor
LOWERY'S QUINTUPLE BOGEY AT NO. 17 (2:30 p.m.): The par-3 17th has claimed its share of victims, but it's doubtful anyone had to endure the kind of strange trip Steve Lowery went on in the first round when he carded a quintuple-bogey 8 that included two penalty strokes.
The first penalty stroke came when Lowery found the water with his tee shot. No surprise there, of course, at the island hole. But after taking a drop, Lowery then sailed his third shot over the green ... and over the water behind the green ... and into the bank. He then took another drop, landed his fifth shot onto the green, then three putted from 24 feet.
Here's how it looked, by the way, on ShotLink.
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VERPLANK'S EAGLES (2:15 p.m.): Scott Verplank had two eagles in 2008, period. He had two in Thursday's opening round -- at the second and 15th holes.
"I think it's because I'm hitting it so far now, I'm overpowering the holes," Verplank chuckled with this tongue firmly planted in his cheek. "They're pushovers now."
Riiighhht. Actually, Verplank -- he ranks 142nd in driving distance, but sixth in driving accuracy -- holed out from 150 yards on the 15th and made a 50-footer from the left fringe at the second.
"I hit it and low and behold, it went in the hole,'' he said.
Verplank's game thrives in hot weather -- he grew up in Dallas and lives in Oklahoma -- so he's not complaining about the 90-degree temperatures that hit this week. He finished tied for second here in 2005 and was T-8 in 2003.
"The best thing my experience will do is just to play my game, be patient and not try to if you try to make something happen, a lot of times it ends up backfiring,'' said Verplank, whose best finish this year is a T4 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
"The golf course was pretty gettable this morning. It rained a little bit last night, guess, and the greens were a little bit softer than I thought they were going to have. Still very fast, but the golf course will probably only get tougher. Although today there's no wind, either, which I've never played here with really no wind. If the wind picks up, the golf course will definitely get tougher.''
Verplank's round, which started on the back nine, could have been a bit better had he not had back-to-back bogeys at the 18th and first holes. He was 12 inches off the fairway on 18, had a bad lie and hit a mediocre pitch, then at the first he was in the fairway with 125 yards to the hole and pulled his approach into the bunker.
He also bogeyed the eighth "with another sorry pitch shot.'' -- Melanie Hauser
THIS AND THAT (2:00 p.m.): Justin Leonard, the 1998 PLAYERS champ, opened with a solid 70. And one oops. On the fourth hole, he got a little wild off the tee and his ball hit a spectator in the arm. Leonard gave him a ball to go with his bruise. Overall, though, Leonard felt he could do a few things better going into the final three days. "I didn't drive the ball quite as well and I could have,'' he said. ...
Time for a new streak. Stewart Cink found the water at 17 for the first time in, well, he couldn't remember when. The ball landed a foot from the pin and trickled off the green. "But in is in,'' he said. Cink hit a smooth 9-iron, but caught it flush. He should have, he said, gone with a wedge. "It's been a long time since I hit in the water,'' he said. "Now I have to start a new streak.'' Count Cink as a fan of the switch to Bermuda greens. "It stays consistent all day,'' he said. "Rye changes. And Bermuda loves the heat.'' -- Melanie Hauser
FATHERLY PRIDE (1:47 p.m.): It's not often that a nine-time PGA TOUR winner and former Champions Tour Player of the Year blends into a crowd, but Jay Haas might do that this week. He and wife Jan have an important reason to be at TPC Sawgrass -- their son Bill tees off at 2:10 p.m. on Thursday.
Jay also has friend and Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples to root for this week. Jay will be Couples' assistant captain for the event in early October, so he'll likely keep an eye on several Presidents Cup hopefuls as he's walking the course this week. -- Lauren Deason
ROLLINS ON A ROLL (1:50 p.m.): John Rollins always putted with a little cut stroke. But now that he's working on coming through the ball a little squarer?
Well, Day 1, so far, so good. Two days of concentrated work -- plus a call to Dallas pro Randy Smith -- earned Rollins an opening 4-under par 68 at the Stadium Course.
Rollins, whose best finish here in his first six tries is a T8 in 2006, went out in 35 on the back nine (his front), then birdied four of the first six holes on the front to come off the course just two shots behind then-leader Ross Mallinger.
"(A) 68 around here is a good score any day,'' said Rollins, a runner-up this year at both The Honda Classic and Buick Invitational. "Thewind is not too much of a factor out there right now. The greens are fairly receptive. I think that's part of the reason that the scores are probably as low as they are.But overall with the day I'm very pleased with the way I hit it and what I got out of it.''
The highlight to his round? A 25-footer at the fifth. "Those are the kind of putts you have to make to try to keep the momentum on get that little extra shot,'' he said. "So that was really the biggest thing. Overall I just played pretty steady and just took what the golf course gave me.''
In addition to a call to Smith, Rollins has had his mental coach Neale Smith here with him all week. "He has a good knowledge of everything and how my game is and what my tendencies are, so he's been lending a hand there and getting that second set of eyes on me to just let me know what he sees or things that I may need to work on,'' Rollins said. -- Melanie Hauser
NEW WEEK, SAME STORY (1:35 p.m.): Tiger Woods continued his dubious streak of not breaking 70 here in the opening round of THE PLAYERS Championship, finishing in 1-under 71 today.
Woods has four top 10s in his last four events, including a win at Bay Hill, but has been wildly inconsistent in different parts of his game throughout the year. When he's driven it well, he's putted poorly. When he's putted well, his ballstriking was off. That seemed to be the case again Thursday.
"My speed was off early," Woods said. "Then I kept lipping out putts."
One of those lipouts came on 17, where Woods' ball did a 360-degree loop before lipping out. Woods had as many bogeys (3) as he had birdies (2) and eagles (1) and hit 10 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation, but struggled with his putting again with 31 putts. What's most alarming about that is that Woods missed eight putts from within 15 feet.
"I was in a position all day to make putts and just didn't do it," Woods said. "I hit the ball well enough to -- this is probably the highest score I could have shot today and I didn't get a whole lot out of my round." -- Brian Wacker
HAPPIEST MAN AT SAWGRASS? (1:20 p.m.): That would be TOUR rookie Webb Simpson, the first alternate who received an 11th-hour invitation when England's Oliver Wilson withdrew due to a rib injury. The announcement was just made in the press tent.
Simpson will take Wilson's spot in the group with Rod Pampling and Briny Baird. That threesome will tee off this afternoon at 2 p.m. from the 10th tee. -- Mike McAllister
NO COURSE RECORD (1:08 p.m.): David Toms just bogeyed the par-3 eighth hole, ending his chance to tie the course record of 63. Toms, who has bogeyed two of his last three holes after going bogey-free through his first 14 holes, is now at 6 under and has dropped into a tie for the lead with John Mallinger and Richard S. Johnson. -- Mike McAllister
TOMS PARS NO. 7 (12:54 p.m.): David Toms must now post birdies in his final two holes (or eagle the par-5 ninth) to tie the Stadium Course record. He just made par at the seventh and is 7 under for his round. The course record (see below) is 63.
By the way, don't expect an eagle at the ninth. Just two have been recorded in the previous four PLAYERS Championships. -- Mike McAllister
| A sip of Maginnes | |
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J.M. SINGH ON HIS 68 (12:52 p.m.): He wasn't happy with the closing bogey -- on a par-5, no less -- but shooting 68 in the first round of his first PLAYERS Championship put Jeev Milka Singh well in the mix.
"It's an excellent golf course," Singh said. "You know, it just felt good to the eye, and I liked it, the way it's set up. I'm hitting the ball well, and I think it ultimately will come down to how you roll the ball. I made a few good putts today."
The quiet man from India's best shot Thursday? It probably was that 9-iron that he nearly holed on No. 6 on the way to a 2-foot birdie putt. He also reached the par-5 second in two only to three-putt for par.
"But I was happy with that shot," he said. The ninth hole was the one that cost Singh, though, when he dunked his third shot into a greenside bunker on the par-5.
"I didn't really have a good birdie chance, but I went for it." Singh said. "I had 258 to the front, went for it with a 3-wood, pulled it a little bit, hit the tree. Had a tough third shot. Brought it out to the bunker and missed up-and-down from there."
Singh said the overnight rain softened the Stadium Course a bit early in the morning, but it was pretty firm by the time he finished around noon. And what about the weather?
"I think this is humid," said Singh, who has played all over the world. "I think when we play the Malaysian Open it's this humid, but Malaysian Open would be another five, six degrees hotter and more humid."
Just wait until Saturday, when the temperatures are predicted to rise into the mid-90s. -- Helen Ross
GIVING ONE BACK (12:45 p.m.): David Toms just dropped a stroke at the par-4 393-yard 6th and is now at 7 under. He'll need to birdie his last three finishing holes to set a new course record.
Toms failed to reach the sixth green in regulation and two-putted from 12 feet, 10 inches for his bogey. His bogey is just the fourth recorded at the sixth hole today through the first 57 players. The sixth has been playing as the sixth easiest hole thus far today. -- Mike McAllister
RECORD PACE FOR TOMS (12:30 p.m.): At 8 under through 14 holes, David Toms is on record-pace to set a new Stadium Course record. He needs two more birdies in his last four holes (he started his round on the back nine) to overtake Fred Couples and Greg Norman, who share the current course record of 63.
Here's a closer look at the record scorecards for Couples and Norman: -- Mike McAllister
| Lowest rounds at the Stadium Course | |||||||||||||||
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RISE OF KOREAN PLAYERS? (12:15 p.m.): Now that SBS International, a division of Seoul Broadcasting System, will be the new title sponsor for the PGA TOUR's season-opening event at Kapalua starting in 2010, will the TOUR see a rise in the number of Korean-born players?
"Absolutely," Sang Chun, president of SBS International, said after Thursday's announcement. "That's what we have in mind."
Chun has a right to be optimistic. After all, he's already seen the influence SBS can make on golf in Korea.
For nearly 15 years, SBS has broadcast LPGA events in Korea, and for the last five years, it has sponsored the LPGA's season-opening event. Since that time, the number of Korean-born players on the LPGA has grown from nearly non-existent to nearly 50. (SBS will no longer be involved with the LPGA starting in 2010.)
SBS has broadcast PGA TOUR events for the last 15 years, and along with the announcement of the 10-year title sponsorship (through 2019), the TOUR also extended its broadcast agreement with SBS for seven more years (also through 2019).
"We've been helping girls for many years," Chun said. "Now it's time that we help the boys. I think there's a lot of excitement in Korea if we give enough opportunity and inspire boys to become another Anthony Kim or even Danny Lee from New Zealand."
Kim, born in Los Angeles, is Korean-American while Lee was born in Korea but grew up in New Zealand.
Three Korean-born players are playing in this week's PLAYERS Championship -- K.J. Choi, Charlie Wi and Y.E. Yang. Check out the Korean results in previous PLAYERS Championships. -- Mike McAllister
TIGER UPDATE (12:00 p.m.): Tiger Woods has never broken 70 in the opening round of THE PLAYERS Championship and that trend might continue today. After an early bogey on the par-4 14th -- he started on the back -- Woods recovered with an eagle at 16 and a birdie on the second hole to get to 2 under on the day.
That has Woods four off the early pace with five holes left in his round. So far, Woods has hit 6 of 10 fairways, but with the rough down about a quarter-inch this year, he's managed to hit 10 of 13 greens in regulation. He hasn't putted particularly well today, either, with six putts missed from inside 15 feet and just three one-putts on his round. -- Brian Wacker
• Follow Tiger's round live with Shot Tracker by clicking here.
CLIMBING THE BOARD (11:28 a.m.): Scott Verplank just made his second eagle in six holes to move into a tie at the top of the leaderboard with David Toms.
The veteran, who started on the back, reached the 532-yard, par-5 second hole in two and made a 34-footer for his 3. He had holed out for 141 years on the par-4 15th for his first eagle.
Unusual? For Verplank, very. He had only made two eagles all year prior to Thursday and he was averaging 306 holes between them. Both of Verplank's other eagles came on the second hole at the Verizon Heritage and the Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. -- Helen Ross
TOMS ON TOP (11:15 a.m.): With a premium on accuracy more than distance here, David Toms should fare well -- even though his best finish at THE PLAYERS is a T12. Today, Toms has five birdies through his first 10 holes, having hit 6 of 8 fairways and 8 of 10 greens with just 14 putts. Follow his round live with Shot Tracker by clicking here. -- Brian Wacker
WEIBRING WDs (10:55 a.m.): D.A. Weibring, who at 55 was the oldest player in the field this week and along with Fred Couples is one of two players here to have played in the first PLAYERS Championship, just withdrew after six holes with a back injury.
Weibring, who got in the field by winning last year's Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, was making his first appearance in THE PLAYERS since 1997. Weibring missed the cut that year, but did finish as high as second here in 1985. -- Brian Wacker
FIRST WATER BALL OF THE DAY (10:43 a.m.): We have our first water ball of the day on the par-3 17th courtesy of Charlie Wi, who hit his tee shot on the 137-yard hole long and right. Wi recovered nicely, however, making a birdie on the difficult 18th and another on No. 2 to get back to even par on his round. -- Brian Wacker
BACK NINE RECORD (10:35 a.m.): Scott Verplank had three birdies and an eagle in a five-hole stretch to open his round this morning on the back nine, but was derailed slightly with a bogey on the 18th, meaning the back-nine record of 30 is safe for now as he made the turn in 32. A total of nine players have posted 30 on the back here (see below for more). -- Brian Wacker
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EAGLES LAND (10:15 a.m.): Tiger Woods just made his first eagle of the day, rolling in a 4-footer on the par-5 16th hole. That's the third eagle of the day on the hole with Fred Funk and Bob Estes having made 3 there earlier today. Last year, a total of five eagles were made on that hole. For Woods it's also quite a turnaround from yesterday's practice round when his second shot there hit a hospitality building left of the green. -- Brian Wacker
VERPLANK OUT FAST (10:00 a.m.): Scott Verplank had just three top 10s last year and has just one this year, but he has a pretty good record here, having finished in the top 11 three times, including a runner-up in 2005. He's off to another good start this year with three birdies and an eagle through his first seven holes to take the early lead.
After birdies on Nos. 12 and 14, Verplank holed out from 141 yards out on the par-4 15th for eagle, then followed with another birdie on the par-5 16th.
Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia, who birdied three of his first four holes, just made his first bogey of the day when he found the sand twice on the difficult par-4 14th. -- Brian Wacker
BUSH RECEPTION HIGHLIGHTS (9:40 a.m.): The stories kept coming all night at the reception for former President George H.W. Bush -- from Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson and from a taped piece on Bush's lifetime love of the game.
A few more highlights:
• Love told about a visit when the President called Ken Raynor, the pro at Cape Arundel, and asked for an 8 a.m. tee time the next morning. Raynor said, well, Mr. President, it's Fourth of July weekend and we have an 8 a.m. shotgun tomorrow. Bush said, fine, they'd be there at 7:45. Raynor reiterated the 8 a.m. shotgun and Bush said not to worry, they'd be on time. "The President has a tradition of giving a golf ball to every group he plays through,'' Love chuckled. "I think he gave away 16 that day. We played through every group.''
• Brad Faxon recalled playing with the President in a pro-am. Fax was a tad late getting to the tee and just as he got there, he heard a "thwack." Usually his pro-am partners wait to greet him. Bush teed off. There was only one problem. Ernie Els' group was still in the fairway and Bush's drive rolled into Els' legs.
• When Couples, Jim Nantz and Blaine McCallister started their Three Amigos charity event in Houston, it was a barbeque circuit event. "You know, 400 guys playing a day,'' Couples said. When President Bush joined the festivities -- and he remained part of it for a half-dozen years -- it became an elite fundraiser with a heavy pricetag and large donations to charity. -- Melanie Hauser
MORE ON MICKELSON AND TEBOW'S PRACTICE ROUND (9:22 a.m.): As reported here in yesterday's Live Report, Phil Mickelson and Tim Tebow played golf at nearby Timuquana Golf Club yesterday.
"I heard he might do that," University of Florida football coach Urban Meyer told the Gainsville Sun. "I'm curious how it went. I played with Tim one time. He crushes it. He's better than you'd think, and he doesn't work at it."
According to the report in the Sun, Tebow shot 82. -- Brian Wacker
EARLY MOVERS (9:05 a.m.): Most of the field has still yet to tee off, but the players that are on the course are already making plenty of birdies. Right now, there are 10 players tied atop the leaderboard at 2 under through the first handful of holes. Among that group: defending champion Sergio Garcia, who went off on No. 10 and has birdied his first two holes.
That certainly has to be a confidence boost for Garcia, who has struggled this year with just one finish in the top 30 and admitted to not being at his best right now.
"I think that there's obviously a couple of things missing," Garcia said earlier this week. "I obviously am not feeling 100 percent with my game at the moment and it shows. I'm just not having a great time on the course.
"It's just a matter of keep going at it and just waiting for things to change, just hold on to something good that will help you get through it. And that's what I'm searching for. I'm sure I'll find it. Hopefully this week we'll start going the right way."
So far, so good. -- Brian Wacker
EARLY START (8:45 a.m.): It wasn't quite the dawn patrol, 7 a.m. start that Tiger Woods has been getting the last couple of days, but he was off early this morning in the opening round of the 35th PLAYERS Championship. Woods is playing with Justin Leonard and Ernie Els and began his day with a perfectly struck 3-wood down the right side of the 10th hole, where he made par.
Playing in the group right behind Tiger Woods two groups back is defending champion Sergio Garcia. The apparently environmentally conscious Garcia is driving a hybrid courtesy SUV this week and got off to a good start with a birdie on the first hole.
One player who isn't here early is Phil Mickelson. His parking space in the players lot remains empty with the 2007 PLAYERS Championship winner not set to tee off until 1:20 p.m. with Dustin Johnson and '04 winner Adam Scott, who is coming off four straight missed cuts for the first time in his career. -- Brian Wacker
PRESIDENTIAL POW WOW (8:30 a.m.): Davis Love III, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson all count former President George H.W. Bush as a good friend, so who better to tell stories on him during Wednesday night's reception honoring him than that trio?
Before Bush was given the PGA TOUR's Lifetime Achievement Award, they took turns reminiscing about trips to visit him and Barbara at Keenebunkport and talking about how he puts everyone around him at ease. The best story? It seems that Mickelson and wife Amy were on a boat with Bush one day when Bush saw a wedding taking place on shore. He turned to them and said, "Let's crash it." So they did.
Mickelson said Bush walked in saying his invitation didn't get delivered and he wound up making the bride, groom and entire wedding feel like family. The bride, groom and mom got tears in their eyes. What a special memory for them, he said. Bush got a kick out of the story, but added, "You forgot to tell them when we got there everyone wanted to know who's the guy with Phil?" -- Melanie Hauser
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