TPC LEADERS HAVE BOUNCE-BACK DAY
Fleetwood, Bradley share first-round lead at Sawgrass, while Woods shoots 2-under
Tommy Fleetwood and Keegan Bradley are looking for a mulligan on last week and have put themselves in a good position to get one.
After failing to capitalize on their four-shot, 36-hole co-lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Fleetwood and Bradley both opened with 7-under 65s on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass and find themselves co-leaders at the Players Championship.
Teeing off on the 10th, not much happened for Fleetwood over his first nine holes. The European Ryder Cup hero caught fire on his second nine, picking up birdies on six holes, including the final three. Fleetwood’s birdie binge included Nos. 5, 7 and 8, three of the most difficult holes on the course.
“I just started picking a few shots up, and then you get on a run like seven, eight, nine and it feels great after that,” Fleetwood said. “Just one of them would feel like a great round, so three of them, I’ll take it.”
World No. 13 Fleetwood does not have a win in the United States and not a week goes by without someone mentioning it.
“It’s the expectations that are a tricky thing, really, because it can always lead to different sides,” he said. “But I love it out here. I love playing out here.”
Unlike Fleetwood, Bradley’s fireworks came early in his round. Also teeing off on the 10th, Bradley made four birdies and an eagle over his first nine.
“I just felt great today and I felt great last week and didn’t shoot the numbers I wanted to on the weekend,” Bradley said. “But
I can take a lot away from last week. This is a course that can go in a lot of different directions, so I’ve got obviously a long way to go.”
It was a tough day for Canadians. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was battling a cold and shot a 4-over 76. Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, was battling his putter and shot a 1-over 73. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., felt a bit of first-timer nerves, but shot a level-par 72
RORY APPROVES OF MOVE
The move back to March is already looking like a winner for the PGA Tour’s flagship event. TPC Sawgrass has never looked better. Visually, the rye grass overseed looks lush and is a gorgeous shade of green. The softer turf is allowing players to play more aggressively than years past.
When the tournament was in May, a more plodding style was often a recipe for success.
“I hit driver on holes today that I would never have hit driver the last few years,” Rory Mcilroy said. “So just to be a little more aggressive, get a shorter club in your hand, and even when you are aggressive and you miss, it’s a touch easier to get yourself back into position. The rough isn’t as long or as gnarly.”
Mcilroy, who shot a 5-under 67 on Thursday, is another hot player hoping to do a better job of closing the deal. The four-time major champion was in the final group at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last Sunday at Bay Hill, but was unable to get it done.
“Once you wake up on Monday morning, it’s a fresh start,” he said. “It’s a new tournament. It’s a new opportunity. That’s the nice thing about our game.”
Mcilroy has had a top-six finish in all five 2019 starts, and leads the tour in overall strokes gained against the field stats. He is first in strokes gained off the tee and in strokes gained tee to green. Which leaves only one thing. “I’ve worked hard on making sure that I can aim the putter correctly and that I can start it on line, and then the only two things you have to worry about after that is your read and your speed,” Mcilroy said.
WOODS BACK AT IT
It was an up and down day for Tiger Woods, who missed Bay Hill last week with a neck strain. Woods made six birdies against four bogeys to card a 2-under 70.
“I felt like I could have got something in the 60s today and got off to not actually the best of starts today,” Woods said. “I hit some bad shots early, rectified that, made a few adjustments, and then went about my business.”
His tee shot at the island green 17th barely made it to dry land, landed on a sliver of rough, and then jumped onto the green before spinning back below the hole. Was Woods holding his breath on the shot?
“No, it’s fun, right?” he said. “Underneath the hole, uphill putt?”
Woods made just a single par in an eventful back nine that included four birdies and four bogeys.
“Usually if I had one par it’s usually shooting 30 or 29, not what I did today,” he said.
DIVOTS AND BALL MARKS
Wyndham Clark was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. He signed for a four when he made a five at the fourth hole. Wait, that’s illegal? … Play was suspended by darkness at 7:42 p.m. with one player, Anirban Lahiri, still on the golf course. No word if he’s still out there.