It was the eighth ace at the island green in the history of the event, and Garcia raised his right arm in a somewhat muted clenched-fist celebration as the gallery went wild.
It boasts the game's strongest field every year (47 of top 50 in the world) and the pressure down the stretch is intense.
When Mickelson stepped to the 10 tee on Thursday morning to begin his 24 Players, it marked the first time that Mickelson had seen the golf course this week. Rory McIlroy, the No. 2, shot 73, as did Jordan Spieth. Putting the 2017 M2 Driver and M2 Tour Fairway Woods in his bag. Jon Rahm not only has won at Torrey Pines, he had close calls in Mexico, the Match Play and last week in North Carolina.
Speaking of the Synergy 8, this year's event will now feature fellow Champions Tour player Colin (Monty) Montgomerie. "Obviously, the conditions, we'll have to wait and see the conditions. I hit a lot of good shots today". The PGA Tour, which is professional golfers who compete for money, created this tournament.
Telling reporters this week, "It's my most favourite golf course in the U.S". But I've been there enough times now where I know how to handle it.
Day has a ton of work to achieve last year's winning score of 15-under and he doesn't have that number on his mind.
But Day limped home with bogeys on three of his final four holes to finish with an opening-round 2-under 70. "I felt like I struggled in the wind", he said on Tuesday.
The hottest player on the planet, current world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, will have a huge say as well this week.
I watched Spieth hit the approach shot that ended up in that bunker, and it looked like one of the better recovery shots of the morning.
Mattis makes clear United States commitment to protecting Turkey
Mattis acknowledged Turkey's concerns that weapons could end up in the hands of the Kurdish militants in Turkey, known as the PKK. Spokesman Redur Khalil called on Ankara to let go of its "unjustified" fears of the group.
The focus starts with Johnson, however, mainly because he has not finished worse than third over his last five tournaments that stretch over three months and one very untimely slip down the stairs that knocked him out of the Masters.
The 15-time PGA Tour victor won his last three starts prior to his return at the Wells Fargo Championship (Genesis Open, WGC-Mexico Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play).
The 29-year-old Day won the 2016 Players Championship by four shots after opening with a course record-equalling 63 and never relinquished the lead through 72 holes.
"I think that it's definitely a much better hole than it used to be", said Garcia.
"I hit two ideal shots and I make a five on No. 1", he said.
The Real Star of The Players.... And the 18th presents one of the toughest driving challenges on the PGA Tour schedule, with water guarding the entire left side of the hole. Leading many to observe you don't win on 17, you lose on it.
With golf being a game of precision, the 17th lends its way to being possibly the most unforgiving hole there is.
Johnson paces the FedExCup standings while Justin Thomas (three wins), Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (2) and Brendan Steele, victor of the season-opening Safeway Open, are the only other players to have held the lead in the FedExCup standings this season. He also was suspended for 10 games in 2014, then for the 2015 season, all for substance abuse violations. With 600 FedEx Cup points and a whooping $10.5 million purse up for grabs, you can bet the pressure is on as the players tee off this week.
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