TPC Blue Monster's 18th lived up to advance billing on Thursday

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DORAL, Fla. -- The 18th hole at TPC Blue Monster certainly lived up to its reputation on Thursday during the first round of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship.

Just ask Vijay Singh, Robert Allenby or Ernie Els.

Round 1 Wrap-up
Leaderboard: Round 1
Mickelson's late arrival
Round 1 notebook
The Live Report

BIRDIES AT NO. 18

Stricker sinks 45-foot putt
Donald holes out from bunker
Harrington from 15 feet

All three owned at least a share of the lead when they came to the 467-yard par 4 that was the second-most difficult on the PGA TOUR last year. But they'll start the second round one stroke behind Charl Schwartzel after their travails there.

Allenby was the first to succumb on the windswept afternoon that only added to the challenge. He opted for a 4-iron on his approach and "ripped it," the Aussie said, only to see the ball land in the right greenside bunker.

That meant Allenby was staring at a slick, narrow green and hitting toward the water that runs completely down the left side of the hole. He managed to blast out across the green and through the fringe, but the ball stopped short of the lake.

A chip and a 3-footer later, Allenby had his fourth straight bogey. But he still managed to shoot a 68 that included a 30 on the front and left him squarely in the mix for what would be his fifth TOUR win but first since 2001.

"I was guarding for that right corner off the green, but you know, I just hit it too good," Allenby said. "5 iron probably was the right club there. Had a nasty lie in the bunker, downslope coming to that flag. I thought I hit a great shot out of the bunker and I couldn't believe it, I think it hit the fringe and released a bit more than what it should have.

"But I was only trying to just get it on the green, just accept it and move on."

Singh and Els both found the lake on the way to a double bogey and bogey, respectively. The 18th hole played to an average of 4.647 -- yielding as many bogeys (26) as it did pars and twice as many double bogeys (10) than birdies.

The landing area off the tee is hardly generous, and Singh's drive strayed left into the water. He took his drop and then put his second shot short of the right greenside bunkers, chipped on and two-putted from 18 feet for the double bogey.

"They didn't move the tees that far forward, so still if you hit a good drive, you're still going in with a pretty long iron,'" Singh said. "And the pin placement wasn't that easy. You couldn't just hit it safe and get up and down, because it was front and if I miss it to the right there's a good chance you could hit it into the water.

"You have to take all of that into account. Even without the wind it's a tough hole. Today it was almost like a par 5."

Els, meanwhile., played it safe off the tee -- "I was a bit too safe," the Big Easy later said -- and hit his drive in the trees on the right side of the fairway. His second shot found the water just short of the green. A drop, a chip and a 6-footer later, Els was signing for a 68.

"It was a downhill lie," Els said. "I didn't have a great lie, so I tried to play a big hook shot there, so it was just a big miss. It's a very difficult hole. I can't quite carry the left side with this wind into us over the water, so you've got to play it right. Played it a bit too safe."