Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri shot a solid 3-under 69 to be Tied-27th even as the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass yielded a lot of low scores on the opening day of the PLAYERS Championships at Ponte Vedra, USA.
Six players, including the world No 1 Dustin Johnson, shot a bogey-free 6-under 66. Joining Johnson atop the leaderboard at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, were fellow US Open winner Webb Simpson, Chesson Hadley, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Cantlay and in-form Swede Alex Noren.
A further six players, including defending champion Kim Si-woo of South Korea and were a stroke back on 67. Kim, the youngest winner of the Players, matched the lowest opening round by a defending champion established by Jack Nicklaus in 1977.
However, despite a lot of low scores, some big names struggled and that lot included Phil Mickelson (79), Jordan Spieth (75), Rickie Fowler (74) and Justin Thomas (73) among others.
Lahiri’s 69 was also his first round in the 60s at the PLAYERS, where he has missed the cut in both previous appearances in 2015 and 2017. Speaking of his round, Lahiri said, “No, you’re not going to win this tournament on Thursday. I’ll take anything in the 60s. If you can stay in the 60s for four days you’ll be fine.”
He added, “I think the course will get tougher on the weekend, but I’m looking forward to going out in the morning [in the second round]. I’m pretty sure that tomorrow morning when we go out it will definitely be a little easier than it was this afternoon.”
Putting, which has been a concern for Lahiri of late, showed marked improvement. “I think that it was definitely better,” he said. “I think I’m moving in the right direction. Finally getting more locked in on the speed. I think that’s been my main issue is my speed putting has been a little off. As that gets better, I think you’ll see more putts going in. So it was nice to make my 6-footers and to make the last putt about 13 or 15 feet.”
Lahiri also holed out a 27-footer on Par-3 third, but missed a couple inside 10 feet. On the ninth, his last hole, Lahiri had a great par save as he drained a 13-footer. Lahiri, who exited last year with a disastrous 10 on the final Par-4 18th in the second round, got some revenge with a birdie on it. He had six birdies against three bogeys and was bogey-free on the tougher front stretch of the course, which was his second nine.
Johnson, whose world No 1 position can be usurped by at four players pursued with a mathematical chance used a new putting method to ensure a fine score and keep challengers at bay. All departments of his game worked well, but he did leave a shot or two out there.
Sharing the lead with him were Alex Noren, also bogey-free, the 2012 US Open winner Webb Simpson, rookie Chesson Hadley, veteran Matt Kuchar, a past winner at PLAYERS in 2012 and Patrick Cantlay, former World Amateur No 1.
Masters champion Patrick Reed had an eagle on second and a double on ninth in his 72. Tiger Woods’s return to TPC Sawgrass included a 20-foot eagle at the par-five ninth. Bu he undid a solid display in finding the water off the tee at the last on route to closing bogey and a level par 72.
Jordan Spieth struggled in posting a shock three-over 75 that included a 12th hole eagle promptly followed by a double-bogey at the very next hole.
Phil Mickelson, playing alongside Woods and Rickie Fowler, ended his round in shocking style.
The 47-year-old was even par after back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th, but proceeded to post a horror run from the 14th of a double-bogey, bogey and two further double-bogeys, including finding the water at 17, in an eventual seven-over par 79.
It was Mickelson’s highest score since a similar first round 79 on route to missing the cut in last August’s PGA Championship.
With inputs from PTI and AFP
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