Luke Donald gets off to a flyer but Owen comes to grief at notorious 17th

LUKE Donald was all smiles and Greg Owen all seething fury on the opening day of golf's richest event, the £6.2 million Players Championship in Florida.

Donald, runner-up five years ago, tucked in just behind early pacesetter JB Holmes with a five-under-par 67 on a Sawgrass course which Nick Faldo said was set up perfectly for him.

Before attention turned to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, however, Owen became yet another victim of one of the most famous holes in the sport. A quadruple-bogey seven on the tiny 137-yard 17th left the Mansfield player ready to explode after he handed in a one-over 73.

"I'm not saying a word about the 17th – I'm fuming at the moment," said Owen when asked by a US Tour official to speak to reporters.

"Forget the 17th please. This is The Players Championship. I've not had a great year. I was playing nicely and I go and do that."

Owen's 9-iron tee shot to the near island green failed to carry the water and then from the drop zone his next attempt was nowhere near making it over. "I hit two bad shots. There's no wind, the greens are soft, it's easy – what more do you need to know?"

Owen has still to win in America and it was a par-3 17th that did for him when a golden opportunity presented itself at the Bay Hill Invitational four years ago. On that occasion a double-bogey five resulted in him losing the title to Australian Rod Pampling.

Donald, meanwhile, had four birdies in five holes around the turn and after bogeying the 15th hit a superb approach to six feet on the dangerous last and made the birdie putt.

As a result he was leading the early European challenge for a title won by Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia the last two years.

"You don't often get to see this course with hardly any wind and soft greens and it was nice to take advantage," he said. "At the 18th you'd take four pars every time."

Masters champion Phil Mickelson three-putted it for bogey in a two under 70 that he happily accepted given how poorly he felt he played.

"I didn't have it today, but I can still get right back into the tournament," said the left-hander, who has a chance to go to world No 1 for the first time in his life on Sunday.

For that to happen he has to win and Woods has to be outside the top five, which after a 79 and missed cut by a shocking eight shots last Friday made for fascinating viewing as he set off in the afternoon.

A 3-wood off the first tee flew left into the trees, but Woods managed to find the green from there and parred the next four holes as well. Playing partner Ian Poulter was one under after a birdie at the long second, while fellow Englishman Ross Fisher and defending champion Stenson were both in with three-under 69s. Big-hitting Holmes led by one from not only Donald, but also American lesser lights Ben Crane, Heath Slocum and Jason Bohn.

As for McIlroy, winner of his first US Tour title at the Quail Hollow Championship on Sunday after sizzling closing rounds of 66 and 62, he birdied the long 11th – his second – and remained one under after five.

Owen was not the only player to have a seven on his card. Paul Casey had one too on the long ninth – three of them were bunker shots – and also returned a 73, one better the Scotland's Martin Laird and one worse than Londoner Brian Davis.