So his decision not to play a practice round this week at the TPC Sawgrass was really not that big of a deal. Johnson finished second last week at the Wells Fargo Championship.
"I was going to play it Tuesday ... and I was just a little exhausted, so I just kind of took the day off", the 2007 champion told reporters. "I dropped it into the worst lie you could imagine and I would have just chipped it out sideways into the water".
There have been changes to the Players Stadium Course, most notably the 12th hole that now is 50 yards shorter with water to the left to tempt players to drive the green. No player has ever won back-to-back at The Players Championship titles.
Speaking about a round containing two birdies and one bogey, the four-time major victor said: "Today it seemed like the golf course should be gettable but no-one really posted any low numbers".
"I've always felt like getting to the top of the mountain is easier than staying there".
The Masters champion is presented with a green jacket, while the Players champion is awarded a red jacket and a hand-cut crystal trophy.
Among that group are each of the top 10 players in the current FedExCup standings and every victor on the PGA Tour since last year's Players Championship.
It was a solid start for the former world No. 1, who has just one top-10 finish in 2017. Thursday was an encouraging start, especially that 5-iron to 6 feet for an eagle on the par-5 16th.
"It was tough to get close to a lot of the pins and I only birdied one of the par fives". That's going to happen. It was a frustrating time in the round where I was trying to kind of get some momentum going.
Pope Francis renews call against extremism in historic Cairo Mass
As Jane Arraf has reported , the visit was seen as important to Egypt's Christians - who are a minority in that country. He also attended an global peace conference organized by Al-Azhar, the world's foremost seat of Sunni Islamic learning.
Not only that, he had to watch Sergio Garcia take a hole-in-one immediately after his own disasters at the course's most famous hole.
Teeing off from the back nine, Day was bogey-free with three birdies but the Australia star faltered late.
"The feeling was great", said Garcia, who won the Masters last month.
What thrilled the Spaniard even more was the number on his card - 1.
JB Holmes was two shots off the lead after dropping shots on his last two holes, with Singh another stroke back after a three-putt bogey on the 18th was the only blemish in a 68.
Rory McIlroy could be facing another spell on the sidelines after admitting he is struggling with another back problem at The Players Championship.
A slight cause for concern for McIlroy was stiffness in his back, which he believes has built up as a result of not hitting many balls over the past few weeks due to his wedding and honeymoon. After his opening round Thursday, McIlroy complained of the back ailment returning.
"It was very solid, but yeah, to go bogey-free around this place, very hard to do, obviously, and I started the day, I wouldn't have expected a round like that, but I knew my game was trending", Hughes added.
"I was thinking actually seven (or) eight-under after (my 11th hole) and I did give myself opportunities coming in, just, unfortunately, had a couple of mistakes", Day told reporters. "We just hope it's not the same thing, the joint and the rib". Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, and other golfers have commented on it this week.
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