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Youth Gives Way At Players

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By MICK ELLIOTT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 10, 2008

PONTE VEDRA BEACH - The PGA Tour thrives on trends. It loves pointing out tendencies. Heading into this week's Players Championship, it was quick to note that eight of the year's winners, and five of the past six, have been 20-somethings, surely signaling the arrival of an exciting new era.

Or maybe not.

On Friday at TPC Sawgrass, the kids had to wait.

While 47-year-old Kenny Perry was shooting 2-under-par 70 to take the 36-hole lead at 6 under, second-year Champions Tour player Bernhard Langer was posting 67 to join Paul Goydos, 43, and Sergio Garcia at 5 under.

"I've played almost 600 tournaments out here," Perry said. "I've always said you can't put a price on experience. That price tag is priceless."

It was a day to cash in on patience and know-how. With TPC Sawgrass already dry and hard, 20-mph winds that gusted to 35 throughout the day added an extra dose of intrigue. Only two players - Langer and Stephen Ames (68) - shot in the 60s. Five shot 70 and 23 broke par. But the field's stroke average of 74.478 far more adequately told the day's story.

"You know, I want to shoot people when they say, 'I want to do your job; you're so lucky playing golf' on a day like today," Perry said. "That was just work out there today. You've really got to stay in it mentally and physically and stay committed. There's really no slack holes to take a breather because there's trouble everywhere."

That helps explain the absence of logic to the day. Garcia hit every fairway and missed only two greens but shot 73. Goydos, who Thursday broke 70 for the first time in 29 rounds at Sawgrass, followed it with a 1-under 71, previously his career low round on the course.

Meanwhile, Langer, preparing to celebrate his 51st birthday in August, made eagle and four birdies during his opening eight holes on the way to producing the day's low round.

"Probably the best start to any tournament I've played in my career," the two-time Masters champion said. "Golf to perfection."

All the same, Langer still weathered three bogeys for the day.

"It's very hard to make four, five birdies out there," Stuart Appleby said. "Very easy to make four, five bogeys out there."

The crashes were much more spectacular than the successes.

Garcia was 7 under and one shot in front going to the par-3, island-green 17th hole, but he left with a double bogey - and he didn't get wet, although he came close twice.

Garcia's tee shot on the 135-yard hole came to a stop halfway down the narrow walkway that leads to the green from the left. His pitch from 59 feet ran past the hole and trickled to a stop on the fringe only inches short of the bulkhead right of the flagstick. From there he chipped and two-putted for double.

"I probably deserved a bit more than I got," Garcia said. "It was really difficult out there. It was so windy and the greens were getting quite firm. Unfortunately these things can happen coming in under these conditions."

The 28-year-old Spaniard was not alone.

Kevin Stadler was 5 under and one out of the lead before double bogeying 14 and bogeying 15. Defending champ Phil Mickelson climbed to 3 under through 13 holes only to immediately go bogey-bogey and finish 1 under with a 73.

And then there was Rich Beem.

The 2002 PGA winner was 1 under and within five shots of the lead with four holes to play. He finished double, bogey, double, quad. He hit four balls into water during the dive, getting wet at 15, 17 and twice at 18.

It made anyone who made it home still on the leaderboard happy travelers.

"I wouldn't have played if you just said, take your 71 and go to the clubhouse, rest and watch TV," Goydos said. "I'm very pleased. It's pretty tough conditions. This is what they were expecting and I think even par now might be in the top 20.

"It will be interesting to see."

Reporter Mick Elliott can be

reached at (813) 281-2534

or melliott@tampatrib.com.

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