• Players Championship, Round One

Woods four off the lead after solid start

ESPN staff
May 6, 2010
Australian Robert Allenby shares the lead with American J.B. Holmes after a first-round 66. © Getty Images
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Tiger Woods showed no signs of a hangover from Quail Hollow horror show with a solid two-under-par first round of 70.

The 14-time major champion's game looked in much better health six as he shaped shots around the testing Sawgrass layout on a serenely-still opening day. The American recovered from an errant opening tee-shot to fire birdies at the ninth, 11th and 15th, but tainted his day with a sloppy bogey at the final hole.

Woods lies four shots off the lead, set by JB Holmes and Robert Allenby at six-under, and was happy with his efforts.

Australian Allenby had led outright at seven-under but fell back into the chasing pack as he spoilt an excellent round with a bogey at the eighth - his penultimate hole of the day. Luke Donald and Lee Westwood lead the European challenge on five-under-par.

Donald, runner-up in 2005, struck four birdies in five holes around the turn and recovered from bogeying the 15th with an exquisite approach to six feet on the difficult final hole to make birdie. Westwood showed great composure to follow a bogey at the par-five 16th in style with an equally impressive birdie at the 18th.

"You don't often get to see this course with hardly any wind and soft greens and it was nice to take advantage," Donald said. "At the 18th you'd take four pars every time."

Phil Mickelson, the man who could take the world No. 1 spot with a win if Woods finishes outside the top five, struggled with his putter but managed to shoot 70 to sit alongside his rankings rival. The Masters champion three-putted the 18th for bogey in a two-under total but refused to be disappointed given how poorly he felt he had played.

"I didn't have it today but I can still get right back into the tournament," Mickelson said.

Defending champion Henrik Stenson overcame his recent struggles with the driver to post a round of 69, while 2008 winner Sergio Garcia showed signs of a return to form to shoot the same score. England's Ross Fisher, who finished third at last year's US Open also shot 69.

Rory McIlroy failed to reproduce the magic of his final round 62 at the Quail Hollow Championships as he carded a one-over-par round of 73. McIlroy is joined on the same total by three-time major champion Padraig Harrington and Paul Casey. Casey had enjoyed a decent start to the day but saw his earlier efforts blighted by three bogeys and a double-bogey at the par-five ninth - his last hole of the day.

Casey's compatriot Greg Owen saw a good day spoilt by sending his nine-iron tee shot short of the notorious 137-yard 17th hole. A quadruple-bogey seven on the tiny par three left the Mansfield player ready to explode after signing for a one-over-par 73.

"I'm not saying a word about the 17th - I'm fuming at the moment," Owen said."Forget the 17th please. This is The Players Championship.

"I've not had a great year. I was playing nicely and I go and do that.

"I hit two bad shots. There's no wind, the greens are soft, it's easy - what more do you need to know?"

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