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A19
SPORTS Friday 12 May 2017

Players Championship

Continued from page 17

Through it all, Hughes was Fowler blocked it so badly on both par 5s on the back
rock solid. Only twice did to the right that it hit a nine in the opening round,
he have par putts longer cart path and went deep McGirt didn’t have an
than 3 feet, and he made into the pines. It took him answer.
them both. The last piece two shots to get out and “Good numbers at a good
of stress came on the final he made double bogey. time, made a good swing
hole when trees block his Fowler also shot 70. at a good time,” McGirt
way to the green. To chip Fowler managed to see said. “You just kind of see
out sideways would risk the big picture. the shot and hit the shot
chipping into the water. “No one’s going crazy low and see the putt and hit
He found a 4-foot wide or anything like that,” he the putt.”
window in which he had said. He made it sound simple,
to keep it under on branch Garcia’s round was even though the Players
and go over two more. It different. He made three Stadium Course can be
was a large enough gap bogeys and a double anything but that.q
and the perfect shot for a bogey in his opening six
6-iron. holes and went out in Mackenzie Hughes, left, of
“I was close enough to 40, the first nine holes of Canada, talks to his caddie,
the trees. It paid off,” said competition he has played Derell Aton, on the 18th tee
Hughes, who already has since winning the Masters a during the first round of The
Players Championship golf
won (Sea Island) in his month ago. He felt nerves tournament Thursday, May 11,
rookie season on the PGA on the first tee when he was 2017, in Ponte Vedra Beach,
Tour. introduced as the Masters Fla.
McGirt played in morning champion. Associated Press
and made a pair of eagles “The feeling was great,” he
on the back nine to atone said. “I think I wasn’t quite
in his round of 67. in the tournament because
Among those at 68 was Jon of everything that’s been
Rahm, another first-timer at going on after the Masters
this lucrative event who win and media and people
had one of four bogey-free congratulating you left,
rounds on the steamy day right and center. I felt like
in north Florida. Even with a I was a little bit up in the
mild wind in the afternoon, clouds, and when I woke
just over a third of the field up, I was 4 over after six.”
broke par. Johnson still has only two
Fast starts and bad finishes rounds in the 60s out of 27
were the norm, and not just attempts at the Stadium
for Scott. Course. He could accept
Defending champion this 71 just because of all
Jason Day ran off two that went wrong — the
straight birdies after making wedge that hit the pin on
the turn and was in the lead No. 1, birdie putts that spun
at 5 under, which for the around the holes at Nos. 2
former world No. 1 was a and 12. Johnson rallied late
peculiar position. He hasn’t with a 25-foot eagle putt
won since The Players last on the 16th hole.
year. Day, however, made “It could have been really
three bogeys over his last good today, but ended
four holes and had to settle up just being OK,” Johnson
for a 70. said.
He was playing in the same McGirt was among 13
group as Rickie Fowler, the players from the morning
2015 champion who also draw who shot in the 60s,
got off to a fast start until but he was the only player
one bad shot — a really to get as low as 6 under until
bad shot — on his 15th hole he missed a short par putt
at the par-4 seventh. From on the final hole. Told that
the middle of the fairway, no one had made eagle