THE PLAYERS: Rd. 1 notes

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Sergio Garcia had four birdies in a six-hole stretch on Thursday morning.

FIRST-ROUND COVERAGE
• Unexpected developments | Course tougher in afternoon | Leaderboard | Photo Gallery | Recap | Twitter
• Mickelson overcomes tricky start | Experience pays off for Couples | Elkington in good shape | Perry's Ryder aspirations
• TRANSCRIPTS: Garcia | Goydos | Perry | Couples | Elkington | Mickelson | More transcripts

SERGIO'S 66: How does Sergio Garcia's 6-under 66 stack up with the first-round leaders in recent PLAYERS Championship history? And more importantly, is it a precursor of a win on Sunday? Here's the chart:

-- Mike McAllister (9:24 p.m.)

17TH RECAP: Out of the first 30 groups to play the 17th hole today there were just seven balls in the water. As the day came to a close, the conditions changed and the final 18 groups had 13 balls find the water.

Using ShotLink stats, here's a chart of the balls finding the water in each round in recent years:

-- Mike McAllister (9:11 p.m.)

IT'S A BLAST: Anthony Kim was glad to be inside the ropes again. The last four days since he won the Wachovia Championship have been quite a whirlwind of interviews, handshakes and good wishes.

Not to mention, TPC Sawgrass demands the utmost in concentration.

"There's so many things to think about," Kim said. "But I felt very comfortable out there and I'm having a blast playing golf."

The round of 70 Kim shot was a far cry from that 78-83 performance the 22-year-old had on the Stadium Course in his 2007 debut. He was 2 over after three holes on Thursday, but made five birdies and just one bogey over the next 15 to get in the hunt.

"I started off 2-over through the first three holes with a three-putt, and I've been putting pretty well," Kim reasoned. "So I knew if I hung in there that I'd get my chances. And on No. 12, I think, I stuck it in there about three feet and made that. I played pretty well from then on in."

Kim admitted his energy level was a "little down," causing him to lose focus early in his round. He shorted his practice session before the first round by nearly 45 minutes to conserve his energy because " I don't have that much to begin with," he said.

"70 feels great any day, but especially on a golf course this tough and under conditions this tough, so I'm very excited about my score," he said. -- Helen Ross (8:31 p.m.)

ERNIE VS. THE 17TH: Ernie Els wasn't the only one upset with the 17 th hole. He was just the most vocal. "Seriously,'' he said, "I think they should blow it up.'' And, yes, he meant it.

Els

The roller-coaster ride known as 17 was a terror Thursday afternoon. With the wind up and the sun baking the green, you could hardly find pitch marks out there. Skid marks? Oh yeah.

Els put one in the water, then proceeded to hang his next shot close to the ties. He exited with a triple bogey 6 and went from 2-under to 1-over.

"Anybody will be wanting to blow 17 up after making 6,'' Els said. "Yeah, it was tough. I played so good all day. You know, I really worked hard on my game, and I just felt like I hit a lot of good shots.

"You know, I felt a bit awkward. Normally I've played 17 pretty well in the past. I think I've only hit it in the water once before. I just felt the greens were so firm, and I had 127 yards to the front and 147 to the hole. If I got the wedge too good it was going to bounce and go through. I had sand iron; I had my 54 sand iron in my hand, then I changed and went back to the wedge and hit it way too soft. I actually chunked it a little bit and it went in the water."

He was so angry, he wound up taking it out on 18 with a birdie to finish even for the day.

"It was a tough day,'' Els said. "I felt if I could have got it in the house at 2-under par where I was, playing 17, I thought that would have been a great score, actually. But it is what it is. But I'm swinging much better. I've got a lot more confidence in my game than I've had for the last five, six weeks." -- Melanie Hauser (7:50 p.m.)

SLEEP TIME: Adam Scott was never comfortable out there today. He made what he called 'bad decisions" all day.

It started when he missed a 3-footer for birdie on the first hole, which left him kept him from a four-birdies-in-a-row start. Things started going sideways with a bogey at 6, but he lost his swing on the back which led to a bogey-bogey-double-bogey stretch from 11 through 13.

He talked with swing coach Butch Harmon after his opening 75 and said the round -- wind and all -- wore him out so much, he wanted "to go home and sleep for a week.'' -- Melanie Hauser (7:48 p.m.)

HE'LL TAKE EVEN: Stuart Appleby has been flirting with a win for a while now. He had five top 10s on the PGA TOUR to start the season -- and two others Down Under -- and, although he's slowed down, of late, he said his opening 72 Thursday afternoon isn't bad. In fact, it's pretty good.

"It's the right round to have here for the first day,'' he said. "Especially this afternoon. I'll take even par today. And I've got a feeling, if it blows like it did today the rest of the week, par is going to get you in the top 10.'' -- Melanie Hauser, 7:47 p.m.

WE'RE RUNNING AGAINST THE WIND: The hardest hole today is the 481-yard No. 14. This hole usually isn't this tough, but the wind is making it play like a par-5.

Only about a third of the field was hitting the green in regulation. Because of the wind, the field is averaging only 272 yards off the tee at No. 14, setting up a mile-long approach into a narrow green.

If you're watching THE PLAYERS on TV this weekend, the 14th is easily recognizable by the huge amount of impatiens flowers lining the shaded left side. -- Ryan Smithson (7:22 p.m.)

Trahan

FLIRTING WITH DOUBLE EAGLE: Big shot just went down from D.J. Trahan. It might be hard to top this one for the week.

Trahan, playing the par-5 583-yard ninth hole as his final hole of the day, hit a 260-yard bomb to three feet for eagle.

This might not sound all that unusual, but the dogleg-left ninth hole at TPC Sawgrass is nearly impossible to hit in two, and it has nothing to do with length. It has one of the smallest greens on the course, and it was the hardest sub-600 yard par-5 on TOUR in 2007.

Trahan's eagle moved him to 2 under on the day. For the record, no one has ever double-esgled the ninth hole during THE PLAYERS. -- Ryan Smithson (7:18 p.m.)

NA HANGS TOUGH; Kevin Na made a mess of the par-4 fourth hole, suffering a quadruple bogey 8 after his third shot from behind the green went all the way across the putting surface and into the water.

"I was shocked," said Na, who is playing in his third PLAYERS Championship and seeking to make his first cut. "You know, I could have easily thrown in the towel right there, especially after I made a bogey at the sixth. But I knew I was playing well, and I just had to hang in there."

That he did. Na played the rest of his round in 3 under par amid increasing winds and managed to come in with an even-par 72, tying his best career round at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course.

"I definitely have to say I'm pleased with where I ended up," Na, who has two fourth-place finishes this year, said. "I hit it well. I made some birdies early, had that bad stretch, but got it back. It was certainly encouraging to finish that way, especially with the wind kicking up more and more." -- Dave Shedloski (7:16 p.m.)

O'HAIR DRY: Back at the scene of the crime, Sean O'Hair safely avoided the water on his tee shot to the 17th island green. Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid a bogey.

O'Hair, who hit two shots in the water on 17 during the final round of last year's PLAYERS to take himself out of contention, saw his ball land on the green, roll off and stop just short of dropping into the water when it hit the fringe.

O'Hair failed to save par when he missed a nine-foot putt. -- Mike McAllister (7:08 p.m.)

FIRST TIME AT 17: Great shot on the 17th from Johnson Wagner, who is playing in his first PLAYERS. Wagner hit it within six feet on his first official visit to the island hole.

Wagner, who won the Shell Houston Open last month, found himself paired with heavyweights Adam Scott and Jim Furyk in the first round. Furyk bounced his shot at the 17th over the pin and into the drink. Scott's ball hung on the back lip.

The wind is really playing havoc out at the 17th right now. Immediately before the Wagner-Fuyrk-Scott group arrived, Ernie Els made a double-bogey after dunking his tee shot. -- Ryan Smithson (6:56 p.m.)

AFTERNOON NOT A DELIGHT: TPC Sawgrass is playing more than a stroke harder this afternoon as it did this morning.

Simply put, an afternoon tee time is a decided disadvantage, especially in Florida. The wind tends to stiffen as the day goes on. In Thursday's first round, there has been a decided increase in the amount of shots finding the water on No. 17.

Another factor that makes the final two holes even tougher: The setting sun.

It probably doesn't bother the best players in the world, but the sun sets right in the face of the players on the final two holes. The 18th hole is especially blinding.

Any player teeing off in the afternoon has to be happy with a 73 or better. -- Ryan Smithson (6:52 p.m.)

2009 TICKETS FOR SALE: Weekly ticket packages for the 2009 PLAYERS went on sale today. The following ticket packages are now available:

• Weekly Grounds ($199) -- Access to Stadium grounds, Monday-Sunday.
• Weekly Island Club ($399) -- This is a new option for 2009, as Island Club access was previously sold as a group package, and is now available on an individual basis. Access to the grounds and Island Club, Monday-Sunday.
• Weekly Champions Club ($599) -- The highest level of weekly ticket options, Champions Club tickets allow access to both the Champions Club and the Clubhouse, Monday-Sunday.

For every weekly ticket package, any level, purchased by Feb. 1, 2009, the buyer will receive on $25 gift certificate for use at TPC Sawgrass. For example, if a family purchases four weekly ticket packages, they would receive four gift certificates totaling $100.

Tickets packages are available by clicking here. -- (6:45 p.m.)

BECKMAN WITHDRAWS: A bad back has forced Cameron Beckman to withdraw after 12 holes. He's the fifth player to withdraw today after starting his round, and the sixth overall (Trevor Immelman withdrew prior to the start of his round).

Beckman, who was making his fifth PLAYERS start, carded four double-bogeys and one bogey. He three-putted from three feet on the third hole (his 12th after starting his round on the back nine) before withdrawing. -- Mike McAllister (5:44 p.m.)

OUCH! It's been a tough front nine this afternoon for K.J. Choi. He made the turn in 44 after carding six bogeys, along with a double-bogey on the par-4 7th when his tee shot found the water down the left side of the fairway.

Choi's 44 is the highest of any golfer's front nine today. -- Mike McAllister (5:26 p.m.)

PUTTING STATS: Paul Goydos acknowledges that he's fascinated with stats. And the PGA TOUR stat that he considers the most important is the distance of putts made. Certainly, his total distance on Thursday helps explain his 4-under 68, the first time in 29 rounds at THE PLAYERS that he's broken 70.

"If you're making 150 feet worth of putts, you're having a good day," Goydos said after his round. "I'll bet you I was at least that today."

Actually, he wasn't quite at 150 feet, but he was close. More important, he currently ranks first in that statistic among all players who have thus far completed their rounds. The top five thus far:

Added Goydos: "Last year, I was in the top 10, 80 feet a day. I think that's the stat that intrigues me the most. Unless you're hitting it pretty good, that's a stat you need to do very well at." -- Mike McAllister (4:38 p.m.)

GLAD TO BE HERE: Davis Love III wasn't particularly pleased with his opening 1-over-par 73 Thursday. He was elated, however, at getting a chance to shoot it.

With his left middle finger still heavily bandaged four days after it became infected by the remnants of a splinter, Love, the two-time PLAYERS champion, had few complaints about his opening round, except that he could have made a putt or two more.

"I hit the ball really good today. I just couldn't get the putter going," Love said.

A few days ago Love wasn't sure he could play when he awoke Monday with his finger throbbing with pain and swollen. He had a local doctor drain it of fluid, and by Wednesday he could almost bend it all the way. On Thursday he said the finger really wasn't a factor except with the putter. He still had most of the finger wrapped in gauze and white medical tape. The middle finger was cut out of the glove on his hand.

"It (the bandage) made gripping the club awkward," he said. "By tomorrow I should be fine. I should be able to play with a full glove. I really was just happy to play. Tomorrow I'll worry more about the scoring." -- Dave Shedloski (3:45 p.m.)

Mickelson

QUICKIE QUOTES - PHIL MICKELSON: After shooting a 2-under 70, here's what defending PLAYERS champion Phil Mickelson told the media ....

Q: Are you surprised that a lot of guys were able to get in red numbers today?

Mickelson: I think that anything under par is a very good score. There were a decent amount of rounds under par. I don't think I was overly surprised. There's enough playability around the greens where you can salvage some pars and get up-and-down, but the golf course is not easy by any means. To go low out here is very difficult.

Q: You said anything in red is very good. What's your satisfaction level with your round?

Mickelson: Well, I'm pleased to have shot under par and pleased to get off to a good, solid start. I feel as though I'm turning 66s into 70s and I'm going to have to fix that this weekend. I'm going to have to stop letting those shots slide in the middle of the round that are costing me in the end. But I would have taken anything under par starting the day." -- Mike McAllister (3:39 p.m.)

TALKING ABOUT GARCIA: Ian Poulter on his Ryder Cup teammate Sergio Garcia:

"I think Sergio is an awesome golfer. We all know how well he hits the golf ball, and he flushes it. He hits it awesome tee to green, and he's working hard on his putting.

"I think it's no secret to anybody that he's been struggling with his putting for a little while, but as soon as he gets it right, we all know he's going to be winning. I know he's working hard, and I'm sure he'll be in the winner's circle as soon as he gets it right. It may be this week. If he's putting well this week, then who knows, and watch out. We all know he's certainly good enough to win.'' -- Melanie Hauser (3:28 p.m.)

Armour

ARMOUR WITHDRAWS: After shooting an 9-over 81 in the first round, Ryan Armour withdrew. Armour, playing in his first PLAYERS, had three bogeys and three double bogeys on his round. -- Mike McAllister (3:25 p.m.)

SURPRISE START: The first alternate for THE PLAYERS, Dustin Johnson arrived at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday and prepared like he was in the tournament, even though he didn't think he was going to get in this week.

At 6:15 a.m. Thursday, he arrived at the clubhouse still not expecting to play. Then at 7 a.m., while watching TV in the locker room, Johnson received a text message on his cell phone informing him of his 8:33 a.m. tee time with Woody Austin and reigning British Open champion Padraig Harrington.

"I grabbed my sticks and went out to the practice tee," he said.

Johnson, a TOUR rookie, got a spot when Masters champ Trevor Immelman withdrew with an illness. He managed to post two early birdies, but gave a few back on the way in, including a double-bogey at the 14th, and carded a 1-over-par 73, not bad for his first round in THE PLAYERS.

"Yeah, it was okay, solid," said Johnson, who played three practice rounds to familiarize himself with the TPC Sawgrass layout. "I made one bad hole, but other than that, I played pretty solid. It wasn't too bad.

"When I got the call I was happy that I got in," he said. "I mean, I was already prepared to play. It was pretty exciting." -- Dave Shedloski (3:18 p.m.)

Elkington

CAPTURED ON CANVAS: Steve Elkington is a two-time PLAYERS winner, and on Wednesday evening a painting commemorating his victories was unveiled in the majestic clubhouse at the TPC Sawgrass.

Elkington liked the painting, but he was even more excited about the company he was keeping. The Aussie was standing next to Jack Nicklaus, the only three-time PLAYERS champ who had received the PGA TOUR's Lifetime Achievement Award that night.

"I said last night, Jack has been kind of our idol, a golfer, and he's never let us down in the way he's acted, never let us down the way he's talked, never let us down professionally," Elkington said.

"He's been the consummate pro his whole career. It's impossible not to pull for him."

And about the paintings?

"I looked a little thinner then, as did Jack," Elkington said with a smile. He opened with a 69 on Thursday in his bid to join Nicklaus as a three-time champ. -- Helen Ross (3:02 p.m.)

QUICKIE QUOTES - SERGIO GARCIA: After shooting a 6-under 66 to give him the clubhouse lead, here's what Garcia told the media ....

Q. Why do you like the course so much?

GARCIA: I guess it just fits my eye. I guess, you know, another course that I really like is Vaderrama, and it has got some similar looks to it with the tree line and some of the greens and the undulations on them and stuff like that, small greens. I guess that's probably one of the reasons.

Q: It's been almost three years since you've won on the PGA TOUR. How much does that motivate you?

GARCIA: It doesn't matter. Even if I would have won last week, I would still be as motivated trying to win this week, so that doesn't change. I don't think it changes for any of us.

Q: How pleased are you with the progress in your game thus far in the season right now, and how pleased are you with your finish for today?

GARCIA: I'm very excited, very thrilled about how my game is coming along. I guess the long game, it's usually been in good shape, but I seem to be driving the ball better in the past ... three months than I've done in the past year or so. So that's nice.

But more than anything, my short game -- the most important thing is not that it looks good; that it feels good, because at the end of the day, that's what you need is to feel it, and I'm starting to feel it, which is always very important. -- Mike McAllister (2:56 p.m.)

OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS: Brett Quigley still can't bend down to read putts the way he wants to. He figures it'll take a year, which means Sept. 1 -- just 12 days before he and wife Amy's second daughter is born.

"We need some names,'' he told the media, ''so if you have any, just leave them in my locker.''

Quigley, who's always smiling, opened with a 70 to put him in position to challenge here -- even with a knee that's not 100 percent. The good news? He made the money he needed to clear the date for his major medical extension from last year, he's steadily improving and this is one of his best starts this year.

"I actually felt like I played pretty good and just haven't had the results','' he said. "It's been frustrating as heck for me. Really, I've been doing the same stuff today that I've been doing every other week and today was just a better result. Hopefully, I'm starting a trend.'' -- Melanie Hauser (2:41 p.m.)

Langer

LANGER'S LAMENT: He had a lob wedge in his hand at the ninth -- his final -- hole and made bogey. And that, folks, had Bernhard Langer kicking himself.

Langer, who has won twice on the Champions Tour, finished at even-par 72, but 71 would have been so much sweeter. "I'm a little ticked off at myself,'' he said. Yet he walked into the clubhouse just six shots off the lead.

Not bad for a guy who has played just one other PGA TOUR event this year -- he missed the cut at the Masters -- and a guy who's likely playing in his final PLAYERS. "I'm not going to be exempt here again unless I win the senior TPC,'' he said.

You may be surprised to see his name on the board, but he isn't. "It's nothing new'' he said. "I've been doing this for 30 years. ... This is the type of golf course I can still compete on. It's not all that different from what it used to be. ''

Even so, he knows his future is on the Champions Tour. "Winning and being in contention is more fun,'' he said. "It gets the adrenalin going. I've won tournaments all my career and when you go through three years without winning, you get a little down. You wonder if you're going to win again.'' -- Melanie Hauser (2:34 p.m.)

Sabbatini

RORY'S PUTTER: Rory Sabbatini has been in a funk for more than a month. He expected to play well at the Masters and missed the cut. He also missed the cut last week at Wachovia. In both spots a year ago he was among the contenders.

In Thursday's first round, he carded a 1-over 73. While not a bad score, it had him feeling less than fulfilled. The culprit in a disappointing round was the same as it's been for most of the year -- a balky putter.

"There have been too many weeks like this," Sabbatini said after taking 32 putts at TPC Sawgrass. "I've tried all different forms and I just can't seem to get the cellophane off the hole. I know my stroke is technically good. They're just not going in. When you're hitting it as well as I have been, it gets very frustrating."

Sabbatini said he didn't feel a need to consult a coach. He just needed to build some confidence. He remains philosophical about the struggles.

"Sometimes you're the dog and sometimes you're the fire hydrant and I've been the fire hydrant too often this year," he said. "Eventually I'll get back to being the dog and then everything will be fine. Until then, I have to keep from beating my putter against a wall." -- Dave Shedloski (2:23 p.m.)

Slocum

QUICKIE QUOTES - HEATH SLOCUM: After shooting a 3-under 69 to put him among the early leaders, here's what Slocum told the media ....

Q: What was the key? What happened?

SLOCUM: I hit it about as solid as I've hit it .... been a while this year. And you have to hit it solid out at this golf course. I just didn't make any mistakes, either. Kept it on the fairway, hit it on the right part of the green for the most part.

Q: It's not about luck, it's about how penal the bad shots really are out here.

SLOCUM: There's no doubt about it. You can miss your target, get a little too aggressive and miss your target by just a few feet, and then you're trying to make bogey. For the most part today, I didn't. I missed the first green and actually made a good up-and-down, but other than that, I just hit a lot of greens.

I played, I don't want to say smart, but I did. I just played conservative when I had to, just center of the greens on longer holes, took advantage of a few wedges early, and after that tried to make some, just some two-putts.

Q: The way the golf course is set up and I guess how everybody plays this golf course, you really have to pick your spots, don't you?

SLOCUM: I didn't go at a par 5 today, so year, I've got to lay it up at the right spot and try to just -- when I can be aggressive with a wedge, be aggressive. And then today on 11 and 12, I had wedges. If you mis-hit it any or get a little too aggressive, you're going to make bogey, so I was playing a little conservative, didn't hit the best of shots but at least had an opportunity to make a putt. Didn't make either one but wasn't disappointed walking off to the next. Par is a good score here. This course is tough. -- Mike McAllister (2:11 p.m.)

TOUGH CLOSING FOR ANGEL: The final five holes were rough on U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera.

The two longest par-4s on the back side did him in. The Argentine bogeyed No. 14 after pushing his tee shot way right, but the real trouble came on the 18th hole.

Cabrera again went right off the tee, forcing him to lay up short of the green. From there, he sent a weak pitch that ended up 60 feet from the hole. He then three-putted for double-bogey and a 2-under 70.

Cabrera hit only 36 percent of his fairways in Round 1. -- Ryan Smithson (1:46 p.m.)

Mahan

ANOTHER SICK NOTE: Hunter Mahan, who was playing in his third PLAYERS Championship, withdrew after finishing the second hole due to illness. He had parred each hole. Mahan, who turns 26 next Saturday, was coming off a tie for 12th at the Wachovia Championship. -- Helen Ross (1:46 p.m.)

25TH FOR FRED: Two-time winner Fred Couples made his 25th start at THE PLAYERS on Thursday, carding a 2-under 70. Couples is just three starts away from tying Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw and Jay Haas for the most starts in tournament history.

But it doesn't appear that he'll reach that record.

Following his round Thursday, Couples, who will captain the U.S. team in next year's Presidents Cup, initially said, "I've got one more in me. Then I'm done." Later, he amended that slightly, saying he has "another one or two" left.

Here's the list of most starts in PLAYERS history. -- Mike McAllister (1:12 p.m.)

EARLY VIDEO CLIPS: Want to check out the action at TPC Sawgrass? Here are some video clips to get you up-to-speed in the first round. -- (12:59 p.m.)

CABRERA'S A SURPRISE: Going into this week's PLAYERS, Angel Cabrera had played 14 rounds at TPC Sawgrass in five previous appearances -- and had never broken 70. In fact, he has missed the cut in his last three starts here.

But provided the defending U.S. Open champ can hold on for the rest of today's round -- he's 4 under through 14 holes -- he'll finally get into the 60s at TPC Sawgrass. Here is Cabrera's performance chart in his first five PLAYERS starts. - T.J. Auclair (12:15 p.m.)

THE NOON REPORT: Angel Cabrera and Sergio Garcia share the lead at 5 under but each still has several holes to play. Heath Slocum, Steve Elkington and Ian Poulter share the clubhouse lead at 3 under. Defending champion Phil Mickelson is 1 under through 12 holes.

The hardest hole thus far is the par-4, 481-yard 14th, playing at an average of 0.480 strokes over par. The easiest hole is the par-5, 583-yard ninth, playing at an average of 0.353 strokes under par. -- Mike McAllister (12 p.m.)

41'S IN TOWN: Don't be surprised if you see former President George Bush -- No. 41 -- at THE PLAYERS Championship tomorrow. He's speaking at a business conference for PricewaterhouseCoopers on Friday morning at the nearby Sawgrass Marriott. Since he's a huge golf fan -- and friend to a lot of players -- you have to figure, if he has time, he'll drop by for a hole or two. After that, he's off to Crawford, Texas, for granddaughter Jenna's wedding. -- Melanie Hauser (11:54 a.m.)

Immelman

VIRUS FOR TREVOR: The cause for Trevor Immelman's withdrawal from THE PLAYERS Championship? A stomach virus.

The Masters champion woke up Thursday morning with an upset stomach and vomiting, and he has returned to his home in Orlando to recover.

"Trevor is certainly disappointed with the timing of this illness, as The PLAYERS Championship is a tournament that he and all the players look forward to each year," said Jon Wagner, Immelman's agent at IMG. "His main focus now, though, is to use this time that he had previously scheduled off to get well and to prepare himself for his next event." -- Helen Ross (11:47 a.m.)

ROOKIES ROLLING: In addition to Dustin Johnson, two other PLAYERS Championship rookies are doing well. Kevin Stadler is tied for third at 3 under through eight holes, while Denmark's Soren Hanson is among five players tied at 2 under.

Stadler started on the back and he hasn't made a bogey. He made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 and 13, rolling in putts from 7 feet and 7 inches, respectively. He also made a 17-footer at the par-3 17th.

Stadler has certainly seen many rounds played at the TPC Sawgrass. His father Craig played in 27 PLAYERS Championships and tied for third in 1984. -- Helen Ross (11:32 a.m.)

Johnson

DUSTIN'S TIME: This time last year, Dustin Johnson had just completed his senior year at Coastal Carolina. He was anticipating a full summer on the national amateur circuit that would end in a Walker Cup appearance before he turned pro.

On Thursday, Johnson found himself playing in his first PLAYERS Championship after Trevor Immelman withdrew -- and the 23-year-old South Carolinian was making the most of the opportunity. (Johnson's scorecard)

He two-putted from 30 feet on the par-5 second hole for birdie, then rolled in another from 16 feet at No. 5. A water-logged tee shot at the par-5 ninth cost him a shot, but Johnson still made the turn at 1 under. -- Helen Ross (11:19 a.m.)

SURGIN' SERGIO: Sergio Garcia hasn't produced a top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR this year, but he seems to be picking up right where he left off a year ago at THE PLAYERS Championship, when the Spaniard finished second to Phil Mickelson.

On the back nine today -- his opening nine -- Garcia carded four birdies while navigating the treacherous 17th and 18th holes in par. He made the turn as the tournament leader at 4 under. (Garcia's scorecard)

Garcia's second-place finish in 2007 was his best in eight starts at THE PLAYERS. His only other top 10 was a tie for fourth in 2002. -- T.J. Auclair (11:15 a.m.)

Rollins

ROCKY ROLLINS: John Rollins has had an adventurous back nine, his first segment of the day. He's made four double bogeys, three birdies and just two pars, making the turn in 41.

Rollins was on the leadboard early when he made a 4-footer for birdie at the 10th hole, but that appearance was brief. He made his first double when he needed two shots to escape the long, skinny bunker that meanders along the creek framing the green at the par-5 11th. A birdie followed at No. 12, but then Rollins made two doubles in a row.

A 5-footer for birdie at the par-5 16th got him back to 3 over for the tournament, but Rollins had another adventure at the 18th when his tee shot landed in the lake. -- Helen Ross (11:05 a.m.)

THE FOURTH HOLE: The 384-yard par-4 fourth hole could produce a lot of birdies and maybe even an eagle or two today given its hole location in the narrow front tongue of the green below a swale that serves as an effective backstop for those brave enough to take aim at that small target. But it's sure to dole out its share of misery, too, for those who play too safely and go for the fat middle of the green. (Click here for more on No. 4.)

That circumstance was illustrated by the threesome of Vijay Singh (who has more local knowledge than anyone in the field), Scott Verplank and Steve Lowery. Singh and Lowery hit the fairway while Verplank found a bunker off the tee and had to lay up short of the green and the water that runs along the front and left of the putting surface. Verplank's third, a short wedge shot, was executed perfectly as he used the backstop to get the ball to feed within a few feet of the hole.

Singh and Lowery played long and safe -- and paid the price. Their birdie attempts missed the hole and trickled down the slope and all the way to the front fringe. They both missed the comeback attempts of about 10 feet and suffered bogeys. Verplank saved his par. -- Dave Shedloski (10:49 a.m.)

Nicklaus

DISPLAY OF INTEGRITY: Golf is different from other sports, and the differences become ever more noticeable.

Image problems and controversies that haunt other athletic endeavors don't seem to touch the game of golf. Players, fans and officials seem intent on keeping golf above the fray, and Jack Nicklaus, who yesterday received the PGA TOUR Lifetime Achievement Award, asked a few very good questions of his own when he was queried about why golf doesn't have the same issues as the other "major" sports.

"Why should it? Why should golf have to worry about the same things?" the Golden Bear asked pointedly. "Why aren't we asking why other sports can't be more like golf? Why do we have to put golf on that level? That's the way we should be looking at this."

Golf always has been about integrity. And there was one more lesson delivered early Thursday morning at the famous island green 17th hole. Lying on the cart path was a brown wallet that a volunteer scooped up. He earnestly and persistently started milling through the gallery in search of its owner. After a minute or two, he found the young man to whom it belonged.

Would that happen at another sports event? Maybe. But at a golf event there's really never a doubt, is there? -- Dave Shedloski (10:37 a.m.)

IAN'S OUTFIT: Ian Poulter is resplendent in electric blue shirt, belt and shoes, with contrasting black pants. His game is pretty flashy, too.

He started on the back nine of the Stadium Course and birdied the par-5 11th with a 6-foot birdie putt. He later ended a string of pars with a 17-footer for birdie at the 17th hole and a 6-footer on No. 18 to move into a share of the early lead at 3 under.

Poulter hasn't missed a cut on the PGA TOUR this year, but at the same time, he hasn't posted a top 10, either. He has made the cut in three of his four previous PLAYERS appearances with a tie for 27th in 2006 his best performance. -- Helen Ross (9:55 a.m.)

THE MORNING LINKS: A few PLAYERS-related links from the golf media...

The Florida Times-Union looks at the truest swings on the PGA TOUR, with input from three teaching professionals at the two area PGA Tour Golf Academies: head of instruction Todd Jones and instructor Steve Hanlon at the PGA Tour Academy at the TPC Sawgrass; and master instructor Bill Masching at the PGA Tour Academy at the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Among his five things to watch, Thomas Bonk of the Los Angeles Times writes that 26-year-old John Merrick hopes to become part of the PGA TOUR's youth brigade. Bonk reports that Merrick has received help from swing coach Jamie Mulligan at TPC Sawgrass this week prior to teeing off at THE PLAYERS.

USA Today analyzes the finishing holes at TPC Sawgrass, focusing on the risk-rewards of the 16th, 17th and 18th. "You want to get as much variety as you can on the last three holes," course designer Pete Dye tells writer Steve DiMeglio. -- Mike McAllister (9:49 a.m.)

Gore

GORE WITHDRAWS: Jason Gore just withdrew after four holes. After his quadruple-bogey 9 on No. 2 (see below), he bogeyed the par-3 third, then double-bogeyed the par-4 sixth. Gore has been battling an illness that forced him to withdraw from the Shell Houston Open last month. -- Mike McAllister (8:57 a.m.)

NEXT ALTERNATE: With Dustin Johnson replacing Trevor Immelman, the first alternate should any other player withdraw today before starting his round is now veteran Corey Pavin. -- Helen Ross (8:44 a.m.)

GORE'S EARLY DISASTER: On just his second hole of the tournament, Jason Gore found trouble on the par-5, 532-yard No. 2, eventually finishing with a quadruple-bogey 9.

Gore's tee shot went out-of-bounds to the right, resulting in a one-shot penalty stroke. The next shot (his third) went just 66 yards, as he was hitting from the "native area," according to the play-by-play.

Unfortunately, he found the primary rough with that shot, and could only move the ball 122 yards from there to the fairway. After finally finding the green, he then putted off of it with his sixth shot ... and well, you can guess the rest from there.

Gore finished T9 at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and T14 the next week at the Northern Trust Open but since then he has struggled, missing the cut in four of six starts and withdrawing from another due to illness. -- Mike McAllister (8:33 a.m.)

IMMELMAN WITHDRAWS: Just got word that Masters champion Trevor Immelman withdrew this morning due to illness. He will be replaced by rookie Dustin Johnson.

Immelman has not played particularly well since winning at Augusta National. He missed the cut at both the EDS Byron Nelson Championship and the Wachovia Championship, failing to break 73 in either of his four rounds and shooting a cumulative 18-over par.

Immelman was asked on Wednesday about the need to decompress from all his post-Masters obligations and whether he considered not even playing in this event. He said then that it was "important for us to try to get the strongest field possible to this event" and added that "it's only an 1-1/2 hours from my house, so how could I skip it?" He said he was planning to take the next two weeks off.

As for Johnson, he's made the cut in seven of 13 events this year, posting top 10s at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Sony Open in Hawaii. He'll be playing with Padraig Harrington and Woody Austin in a group that tees off at 8:33 a.m. off No. 1. -- Mike McAllister (7:58 a.m.)

Hayes

HIGH SCORES?: The highest winning score for a PLAYERS champion? That would be 1-over, shot by Mark Hayes in 1977 and Jack Nicklaus in 1979. Neither player broke 70 during their respective wins, but their consistent play over the four rounds served 'em well.

Not since 1999 when David Duval won at 3-under has any champion even come close to the scores of Hayes and Nicklaus. Last year, Phil Mickelson won at 11-under. But this week, the winning score may be closer to Duval's total than Mickelson's, if you believe Masters champion Trevor Immelman. "I don't anticipate the scores being too good, to be honest," he said on Wednesday, a day before he withdrew from the tournament due to illness (see note above).

When asked whether the greens are getting quick, Immelman replied: "Right now, it's the speed that's perfect. It's the firmness that's going to be tough to handle if the breeze kicks up.

"This course is all about distance control as it is, so when the breeze kicks up and the greens are that firm, it really will make your second shots quite demanding." -- Mike McAllister (7:50 a.m.)

PAIRINGS SHEET: Among the nuggets of information you can find in the daily pairings sheet: In the history of THE PLAYERS Championship -- excluding the tournament's first year in 1974 -- 23 players have finished in the top 10 in their first PLAYERS, including champions Hal Sutton (1983) and Craig Perks (2002). A year ago, Jeff Quinney and Robert Karlsson had the best finishes of the first-timers, tying for sixth. That makes it six consecutive years that a player competing in his first PLAYERS has finished in the top 10.

Want to see more of Thursday's pairings sheet? Click here for a PDF version of the official one available at TPC Sawgrass today. -- Mike McAllister (7:40 a.m.)

AND THEY'RE OFF!: THE 2008 PLAYERS Championship has officially started. Heath Slocum, J.P. Hayes and Steve Elkington have teed off on No. 1, with Ian Poulter, Rich Beem and Ken Duke going off on No. 10. The weather is excellent -- 72 degrees, with an expected high of 88 degrees later today, and no precipitation in the forecast.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson, who tees off at 8:33 a.m., was in the clubhouse parking lot with his caddie, getting ready for his round. Mickelson, by the way, has the closest parking spot to the clubhouse -- one of the perks of winning THE PLAYERS.

We'll be here all day with live updates from TPC Sawgrass. And be sure to check out our LIVE@ THE PLAYERS coverage of the infamous 17th hole beginning at 9 a.m. -- Mike McAllister (7:25 a.m.)