Coming Soon...
OKSomething went wrong!
Please try again later.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla- In the opening round of THE PLAYERS Championship 2017, Only a third of the field shot under par as the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass gave the players all they could handle in Round 1.
"There's just not really a moment where you can let up," Hughes said.
No need explaining that to Adam Scott, who won THE PLAYERS in 2004 and was off to a strong start on a steamy afternoon when he was 6 under and heading to the infamous par-3 17th with its island green.
First, he watched Masters Tournament champion Sergio Garcia hit a gap wedge that took one big hop, land just behind the cup and disappear for a hole-in-one. 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 2 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 he have par putts longer than 3 feet, and he made them both. The last piece of stress came on the final hole when trees block his way to the green. To chip out sideways would risk chipping into the water. He found a 4-foot wide window in which he had to keep it under on branch and go over two more. It was a large enough gap and the perfect shot for a 6-iron.
"I was close enough to the trees. It paid off," said Hughes, who already has won (Sea Island) in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR.
DP World Tour | March 21, 2024
An impressive line-up of winners and international stars from the DP World Tour have signed up to enter theĀ Indian Open as 2024 edition of the iconic National Open starts next week. Read More
PGA | March 18, 2024
The golfing world saw an incredible feat of skill and perseverance at the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, as Scottie Scheffler won the tournament for the second year in a row. Read More
Ladies European Tour | March 12, 2024
Diksha Dagar maintained her consistent form by securing her second consecutive Top-10 finish with a solid 1-under 71 on the last day of the Aramco Team Series - Tampa. Read More