Sutton leads on tough first day

Trousers whipping, eyes weary, Hal Sutton trudged off the 18th green with a one-stroke lead in The Players Championship.

His 3-under-par 69 was the highest score to lead after the first round since the tournament moved to the diabolical TPC at Sawgrass 19 years ago.

Only 13 players broke par today. Twenty-two players signed for an 80 or worse.

Not many smiled.

"This is what I think makes this a major," said Sutton, his face etched with exhaustion after spending nearly five hours on a course that chewed up the best players in the world.

As for that talk from Colin Montgomerie that everyone is playing for second if Tiger Woods gets off to a good start? Well, Woods was only two strokes back after his first double bogey in 223 holes, but no one conceded him anything.

"This golf course has got all the challenges in the world," Sutton said. "I find it difficult just to manage my own game, much less worry about what somebody else's game is doing."

Sutton figured out when to attack and when to take his lumps on a cool, blustery day in which the players averaged 4.28 strokes over par.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, no stranger to demanding conditions, was among seven players at 70. Woods, tied for the lead after 16 holes, hit into the water on the island-green 17th for double bogey and had a 71.

Omar Uresti was at 2-under through 16 holes when play was suspended by darkness with 21 players still on the course.

The Players Championship isn't a major, despite its $6 million purse and all-world field. Still, most players consider it similar to one, and it wasn't hard to see why.

"Major championships ... you've got to be patient when conditions get difficult on a great golf course," Sutton said.

And like a major, there were plenty of horror stories. • Craig Stadler had a double-hit out of the rough on No. 12 that led to a triple bogey. He made another one on the 16th when he chunked a wedge about 4 feet, then got so fed up that he swatted his ball over the green and into the water.

At least it wasn't moving, like what John Daly did in the U.S. Open last year.

"I did a few things I've never done," Stadler said.

• Chris Perry had a chance to tie for the lead with an eagle putt on No. 11. Four putts later, he walked off with a bogey.

• Defending champion David Duval bogeyed five of eight holes and had a 75.

"It's not that great of a score," he said. "I'm not particularly pleased. But at the same time, it's not terrible on a day like this. It's a long race."

It could be a short week for those who signed for an 80 or worse -- at least 17 players, including Sergio Garcia (82) and Phil Mickelson (83).

"I'm very happy to get off the course," Billy Mayfair said after his 70. He was the only player to reach 4-under in the first round.

Woods, meanwhile, kept one streak alive. He still hasn't broken 70 in 13 rounds on the Stadium Course, although he had few complaints.

Showing the power and control that has carried him to 10 victories in his last 16 events on the PGA Tour, Woods was tied with Sutton at 3-under when he stood on the 17th tee box, staring at the swaying palms and pines as he tried to gauge the wind.

His 9-iron started right, caught a gust and splashed down about 5 feet short of land. After taking a drop and putting his next shot some 40 feet above the hole, he had to make a 10-footer for his first double bogey since the third round of the Nissan Open.

He didn't get mad. He certainly didn't get even. Woods simply added up his score and figured anything under par wasn't such a bad day.

"That's why I wasn't upset at all when the ball went in the water," he said. "I figured I'd knock it up there, make my double, play 18 and still shoot a number in the red."

Sutton's 69 was the highest score to lead The Players Championship after the first round since a 70 by seven players, including Jack Nicklaus, in 1978 when it was played across the street at Sawgrass Country Club.

The wind blew 26 mph, but consider two holes by Woods.

On the 535-yard 11th hole, he hit driver 348 yards and an 8-iron 190 yards to set up a two-putt birdie. On the 358-yard 12th hole, which goes the opposite direction, Woods hit driver and still had a wedge from about 100 yards to reach the green.

He birdied both, and needed them later.

"The golf course was showing its teeth out there," Sutton said. "You couldn't get through without making some bogeys."

Most players would have been happy with that considering there were 144 scores of double bogey or worse today.

Sutton avoided one on the fourth hole, where his tee shot barely bounced into the rough, leaving him 120 yards to the green over a pond. He acted like it was a U.S. Open, pitching safely to the fairway to take double bogey out of the equation.

"You want to stay away from a big number if you can," he said. "That's what makes this golf course great. There's always that urge to test it."

Sutton picked his spots, hitting a 4-wood into 8 feet for an eagle on No. 2. He also had eagle attempts on the 11th and 16th, two-putting both of them, and hit a couple of 9-irons into 2 feet for routine birdies.

"This is a very penalising course," Mickelson said. "But obviously, some guys shot under par, so it couldn't have been that unfair."

Montgomerie wound up with a 75, but didn't back off his claim that Woods was always the man to beat.

"He'll be the only guy tonight that's sleeping easy," Montgomerie said.

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