Local Golfers Go Low on Day One of The Players Championship
On what has typically been a very challenging Pete Dye designed course, scores were abnormally low yesterday on day one of The Players Championship.
33 players shot rounds in the 60s at the TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course with close to half the field shooting a score of par or better. Included in that group was everyone from the top players in the world in Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy, to relatively unknown Roberto Castro who tied the course record by going out early yesterday morning and shooting a 9-under 63. The highlight of Castro’s round had to be his shot at the famed par 3 17th. He put his tee shot less than two feet from the cup on the island green.
It was also a great day for several of our local golfers. Mcllroy lead the way, shooting the lowest round of the day out of the local golfers competing in the event. The Palm Beach Gardens resident had never made the cut at The Players Championship and going into this week had never shot a round under par at the TPC Sawgrass Course. Mcllroy went out yesterday morning under nearly perfect conditions and shot a bogey free round of 66.
Tiger Woods has also seen little success at this course. Since his lone win at The Players in 2001, the Jupiter Island resident had not broken par. In fact, since Woods turned pro, he had yet to shoot an opening round of under par. That was until yesterday. His only blemish on the day was a bogey on the 18th hole when had hit his approach shot too hard and cleared the green. Other than that it was smooth sailing for Woods who shot 5-under par.
Lee Westwood joined his fellow northern Palm Beach County neighbors at the top of the leaderboard after day one. Like Woods and Mcllroy, the Old Palm resident has not had the best of luck at the Pete Dye Course. In his ten appearances at The Players he has only had three top 10 finishes. After his round yesterday, he is well on his way to his fourth. Westwood went out in the afternoon and, despite the fact that the wind picked up, shot a bogey free 69.
Joining Westwood at 3-under is his Old Palm neighbor Louis Oosthuizen. Oosthuizen had an up and down first day that included three bogeys, four birdies, and an eagle on the par 5 11th hole.
For a complete live updating leaderboard, visit www.pgatour.com.
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