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By T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer

Editor's Note: For the first time in more than two years, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson are playing a round together. PGATOUR.com's T.J. Auclair followed the group's progress throughout the day.

BY THE NUMBERS

(WireImage) Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh are separated from each other by no more than 1,000 points entering the second event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, All three of these players possess elite skills, but Woods enters the Deutsche Bank Championship with five victories and a scoring average more than a stroke better than Mickelson and Singh.  • Complete story,  click here

5:54 p.m. -- Off the tee, Vijay found the rough, Tiger found the bunker and Phil drove it into the fairway.

Tiger saved his best for last, blasting a fairway wood from the right bunker and onto the back edge of the green. He was in the worst shape off the tee, but the only one to find the green in two.

Phil came up short from the fairway and Vijay was left of the hole.

Singh just missed holing out for eagle. Mickelson's chip settled to within eight feet.

Tiger used three putts for a par and a 1-over 72.

Mickelson's birdie try lipped around the entire hole and he settled for a 1-under 70.

Singh made his birdie for a 3-over 74.

Overall, it's safe to say the big three didn't play their best today. With that stellar analysis, I sound like the Sherlock Holmes fan from No. 10.

These guys - especially Tiger and Vijay - can only get better tomorrow.

5:31 p.m. -- The eventful round continues. Phil's drive went well left and in the rough. Tiger and Vijay each had perfect drives, but Tiger took too much club and wound up against the TV tower.

After watching Tiger, Phil took it deep too, while Vijay hit a nice shot to within 20 feet.

Tiger and Phil each hit chips to within five feet and made their pars. Vijay sent his birdie putt three feet past the hole, but made his par.

5:16 p.m. -- Unhappy about his tee shot on the par-3 16th, Tiger took a nice chunk out of the tee marker, leaving a giant sized "Deutsche" mark.

He bounced back to make an incredible par, which included a flop shot that traveled roughly five feet with a hard driver swing.

Phil and Vijay each made routine pars.

4:51 p.m. Once again, Vijay hit another drive well right. This time, he found the trees.

Attempting to lay out of the trees, Singh smashed his approach left of the green and into the gallery.

Vijay had a nice chip on and made a nice par save.

Mickelson finally got a loud roar from the gallery when his 15-foot birdie putt dropped in. Tiger had a two putt par -- again just missing the hole.

4:37 p.m. -- Vijay's approach to the 13th hole was easily his best of the day as it settled to about four feet for birdie, which he made. Tiger and Phil each made solid pars.

Two guys were high-fiving as Vijay walked by having finally made a putt.

4:23 p.m. -- Tiger was the worst off the tee when he found the left rough, but hit a wonderful second shot to eight feet.

But, as has been the case for much of the day, he just missed a birdie putt.

Singh, still struggling with his swing. Vijay got up and down for par, and Phil made par too.

The galleries seem to have disappeared compared to early in the day and the ones that are left are wondering if Tiger, Vijay and Phil know who the are.

These tough New England fans want more.

4:09 p.m. -- This is getting to the point of going to pick up your stunning prom date only to have her answer the door with a huge black eye.

Vijay just shanked it off the trees right of this par 3 and had 60 yards left to the hole. Phil missed the green on the right and Tiger went long.

What's happening here? Not one of these guys has a gimme par putt left.

Vijay walked off with another bogey, Phil made a nice six-footer to save par and Tiger holed his four-footer.

3:55 p.m. -- Tiger let himself have it on the walk to the 10th tee, clearly frustrated after his missed birdie opportunity, leading one Sherlock Holmes of a fan to observe, "I think he's mad."

Another fan asked Tiger, "Can you change a diaper with one hand yet?"

Tiger didn't look in the mood for a joke.

For the first time in a long time, all three players found the fairway.All three players made par, with Tiger just missing another birdie.

3:38 p.m. -- Phil hit a provisional after his tee shot on No. 9 snap-hooked into the woods. While he awaited a ruling, fans were captivated by the fact that Tiger and Vijay walked together and shared a laugh as they made their way to their golf balls: "Oh my God! Look at this! They're talkin' to one another!"

Phil found his tee shot in the woods and was forced to punch out about 10 yards into thick rough.

Phil's third shot clipped more trees and a fan suggested loudly that the shot wasn't so smart.

While Phil went ball-hunting for a second time on No. 9, Tiger and Vijay went to the green to the roars of an enthusastic crowd... And then turned around to go back and help Phil.

A marshal in the stands behind 9 asked if everyone wanted to have fun, then instructed, "When Tiger goes to mark his ball everyone yell, 'That's good, pick it up!'"

Woods was about four feet away for birdie.

Back to Phil. After a drop, he's hitting his fifth shot to this green from more thick rough. He ran a great shot up to about 12 feet.

From behind the green, Singh flopped his third to about eight feet.

Lefty's try for double bogey lipped out and he took a triple bogey seven. Singh made his uphill slider for par and then Tiger lipped out his short birdie putt.

3:18 p.m. -- With a birdie putt from 25 feet on No. 8, Vijay blew it 12 feet past the hole and nearly off the green. The three most dreaded words in golf, "You're still away."

Vijay walked off with bogey, while Tiger and Phil both two-putted for pars.

3:02 p.m. -- Mickelson was all over the lot on No. 7 - a 600-yard par 5 - he hooked a drive, hooked a three-wood into a bunker with an awkward uphill lie, tossed that into the front greenside bunker and got up and down for par. Seven was another adventure for Vijay.

Left bunker with his tee shot, a lay-up, a short iron well over the green and an up-and-down for par. Tiger hit two shots to the front bunker and got up and down for his birdie. The crowd has been rather quiet and tame, perhaps expecting a little more from the big three. There's still a lot of golf to be played though.

2:42 p.m. -- Trouble for Vijay again. After his tee shot found a right fairway bunker, he too clipped the lip and found another bunker 10 yards in front of the first one. His third found the edge of the left water hazard that guards the left portion of the green. A chip and two putts later, he had his second double bogey of the day. Tiger and Phil both knocked their approach shots from the fairway tight. Tiger made birdie from 8 feet, while Phil two-putted for par from 6 feet. Surprisingly, there's been some sloppy golf early with this trio.

2:29 p.m. -- Two nice pars on no. 5 for Phil and Vijay and a gorgeous one for Tiger. After depositing his tee shot into a left fairway bunker, Tiger's sand woes continued -- it is a great beach day after all. Anyway, his second shot pounded the lip of the bunker but still had enough on it to carry the hazard 120 yards away. From there, it was a remarkable up and down.

2:18 p.m. -- I've seen lots of golf on the TOUR in my 27 years of life, but today marks the first time I've ever heard a player cheered on for refueling on a granola bar. It sounded like this walking off the fourth tee box (keep in mind the Boston accent): "Hey Phil! Yeah! Eat that granola baaah!"

2:09 p.m. -- All three missed the green with 3-woods on this reachable par-4. Phil dazzled the crowd with a spectacular hole-out for eagle from the bunker that fronts the left portion of the green. Tiger was so lucky. He needed three shots to get out of the bunker and left himself about 10 feet for bogey. The bogey putt slipped past the hole and Tiger worked hard for double bogey and has now dropped three shots on two birdie holes. Vijay missed the green where he was supposed to with his tee shot -- well right. He pitched past the hole, but made a 12-foot birdie putt.

1:55 p.m. -- After three solid pars on the 184-yard third hole, Tiger looked like he was having a hard time holding in his laughter and for good reason. As Phil was putting, Vijay was slipping on his mp3 player equipped sunglasses. Either they're not doing much talking, or Vijay requested a song on the radio and didn't want to miss it.

1:41 p.m. -- "Tigah" as the fans are calling him -- we don't pronounce our "Rs" here, isn't happy. From a hill in the right rough, he hit the rocks that front the green on the par-5 second and lost the ball in the water. Phil hit a towering shot with a fairway wood that found the green, while Vijay went deep and right. Right now it seems as though every spectator on the course is following this threesome. After a drop, Tiger left himself roughly 40 feet to save par and failed to convert, taking a disappointing bogey on a par-5. Mickelson ran his 30-footer for eagle 6 feet past, but made his birdie. Vijay made a beautiful 10-footer from the fringe to save his par.

1:26 p.m. -- Pars for Tiger and Phil on No. 1, but a crazy four-putt double bogey for Vijay, three of those from inside 5 feet. There were more ooohs and aaahs than at a fireworks show. Bad start.

1:15 p.m. -- Unless you're Tiger, it's not easy to get a chuckle out of Steve Williams on the course. But, an older woman accomplished just that. Grabbed his attention with a spirited, "Hey Stevie!" As he walked off the first tee, the woman then hollered, "Nice legs!"

Welcome to Boston sports fandom.

12:57 p.m. -- In the Boston area few things are bigger than Red Sox-Yankees, or Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. But, in just a few minutes the TPC Boston will be the center of attention for the battle of the Big Three - Tiger, Phil and Vijay all paired together for the first time in a PGA TOUR event. The buzz behind the range on this beautiful, warm, but breezy late summer day is clear. Tiger just walked past Phil on the range and exchanged pleasantries. Then as he walked past Vijay, Tiger gave him a tap on the backside with the grip of his putter. It doesn't look like this will be the Ultimate Fighting cage match everyone is expecting, but the golf should be superb.

As a lifetime member of Red Sox Nation and having grown up in the northeast, I know we New Englanders get excited about our sports. Today for the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship is no different. Let's play ball!