PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -A brief look Thursday at the first round of The Players Championship:
Leading: Sergio Garcia at 6-under 66.
Trailing: Paul Goydos and Kenny Perry at 68.
Defending champion: Phil Mickelson was at 70, trying to become the first repeat winner in the 34-year history of the event.
Island Green: Twenty balls found the water on the par-3 17th.
Shot of the day: Rich Beem holed out from 132 yards for eagle on the seventh hole.
Key statistic: Eight of the 34 players who broke par played in the afternoon.
Noteworthy: Garcia is 17-under par in his last three rounds at TPC Sawgrass.
Quoteworthy: "The course tempts you into doing really stupid things." - Paul Goydos.
Television: Friday, 1 p.m to 7 p.m. EDT, Golf Channel.


