Tiger, Phil, Rory, Jordan.. all the names making news were on display on the first day of the Players but the story as it often is here was TPC Sawgrass which if nothing else provides great viewing with the island green 17th atop the list..
David Hearn, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Kevin Na lead with -5 67. Each made only one bogey. Charlie Hoffman playing the golf of his life this year also is in with 67 which included a triple bogey 7 !
Hearn said afterwards how much he enjoys playing TPC Sawgrass with the way it demands patience and makes you play all the shots in your bag, sometimes a draw, sometimes a cut..
TPC Sawgrass, even when bathed in warmth, sunshine and a little wind needs a lot of patience, no one fared better than those 67's and there were doubles, triples and even quadruples all over the scoreboard.
Rory McIlroy stayed patient and ended up with two birdies, an eagle, one bogey for a 69. “I think that’s what this course is all about,” McIlroy said. “It’s about staying patient. There’s a lot of pars on my card, but I was able to pick off a couple of birdies and a nice eagle on 16. I’m happy with the start, for sure.”
Jordan Speith has finally come down to earth with a +3 75 saying afterwards that his putter saved him from shooting in the 80's.
Two dozen players broke 70, while 76 players in the 144-man field were at par or better. The 18th hole provided drama as always . Phil Mickelson hit the wooden plank and went into the water for a double bogey. He shot 73 with five birdies. Adam Scott wasted a reasonable start by finding water for a double bogey on the 18th. Tiger Woods hit into the water and made double bogey on his way to 73.
Woods holed out from the edge of the 17th, making a highlight shot for that 73 in the afternoon's windier conditions. Although he ended the day six shots behind the leaders he is feeling good about his game.
“Probably the highest score I could have shot today, I didn’t get much out of that round. I hit the ball better than the score indicates, and I got a couple good breaks and never took advantage of them.
Brooks Koepka typified the day at TPC, making a 7 on the 17th by putting two balls into the water. and then an 8 on the 18th with another in the water while he played the other 16 holes in -1.
The drama continues today, Tiger and Phil are off early while Jordan and Rory are in the late wave.
Bryan Angus (notes from BBC Reuters AP)
No comments:
Post a Comment