CANADIAN ON A ROLL

Hughes shares lead at Players

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. Canadian rookie Mackenzie Hughes played bogey-free in his debut at The Players Championship and shot a 5-under 67 to share the lead with William McGirt after an opening round that showed anew that the TPC Sawgrass has surprises around every corner.

No one knows better than Adam Scott, the 2004 champion who had a one-shot lead going into the parthree 17th hole. First, he watched Masters champion Sergio Garcia salvage his poor round by making a hole-in-one at the infamous island green. Scott followed by spinning a shot off the bank and into the water for a double bogey, and he compounded that with another double bogey.

“I played some good golf out there and unfortunately not on the last two,” Scott said after settling for a 70. “It happens.”

At least he had company. Dustin Johnson’s first wedge of the way hit the pin, caromed off the green and led to bogey. On a day when nothing seemed to go his way, the world’s No. 1 player opened with a 71. Rory McIlroy went to tap in from two feet and missed it, and then had to make one twice that long for his double bogey on the 10th hole. He shot 73.

Through it all, Hughes was rock solid. Only twice did the native of Hamilton have par putts longer than three feet, and he made them both. The Players Stadium Course must be some kind of easy, eh?

Hughes laughed and shook his head. “No. It’s very hard,” he said.

McGirt made a pair of eagles on the back nine to atone in his round of 67.

Among those at 68 was Jon Rahm, who had one of four bogeyfree rounds on the steamy day in north Florida. Even with a mild wind in the afternoon, just over one-third of the field broke par.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., finished at 2 under, while Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was at 1 under and Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., was at 2 over.