Roberto Castro tied a TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course record after shooting 9-under-par 63 during the first round of the 2013 Players Championship on Thursday. Through one day, he holds a nice cushion over the field, three shots ahead of second-place Zach Johnson and Rory McIlroy, and four shots ahead of Tiger Woods.
Players Championship 2013 scores: Roberto Castro ties course record, Tiger Woods 4 strokes back
Roberto Castro took a big lead atop the leaderboard at the 2013 Players Championship on Thursday, but the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker are all within shouting distance.
Castro enjoyed good weather conditions for his round and took advantage with birdies on five of his first nine holes. After the turn, he recorded an eagle on No. 2 and birdies on 4 and 6 before closing the day with par on his final three holes. Castro is playing the Players Championship for the first time in his career and has yet to record a win in his four years as a pro.
Winds picked up in the afternoon and put Woods off to a slow start. He was just 1-under through his first eight holes, but birdied four consecutive holes around the turn. Woods made birdie on No. 16 to move into a three-way tie with Johnson and McIlroy, but a bogey on No. 18 knocked him back into the pack of six players tied for fourth place at 5-under overall.
McIlroy is vying to put an up-and-down 2013 behind him by winning his first PGA event of the season. He is off to a solid start, posting a 6-under that was only bested by Castro’s big outing. McIlroy has typically gotten off to a good start at the Players, and Thursday was no exception. He made birdie on five of his first eight holes before making just one over his next 10.
Back from the pack, Phil Mickelson is struggling at even-par. He was at 2-under through 13 holes, but had a double-bogey on 14 and a bogey on 18 to put himself in early jeopardy of missing the cut.
Top 10 after Round 1
1) Roberto Castro: 9-under
t2) Zach Johnson: 6-under
t2) Rory McIlroy: 6-under
t4) Casey Wittenberg: 5-under
t4) Hunter Mahan: 5-under
t4) Steve Stricker: 5-under
t4) Ryan Palmer: 5-under
t4) Webb Simpson: 5-under
t4) Tiger Woods: 5-under
t10) Jason Bohn: 4-under
t10) Henrik Stenson: 4-under
t10) David Lingmerth: 4-under
t10) Greg Chalmers: 4-under
t10) Padraig Harrington: 4-under
t10) Sergio Garcia: 4-under
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