Poulter, Laird lead; Tiger falters at TPC

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Ian Poulter ran off four birdies around the turn and Martin Laird was the only player without a bogey on his card.

That was enough for them to share the lead Thursday in The Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass.

Poulter birdied all of the par 5s on his way to a 7-under 65. Laird played in the afternoon and relied on his putting for some critical par saves to match Poulter.

They were a shot ahead of Blake Adams.

Phil Mickelson, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday, had a 71. Rory McIlroy hit in the water on the island-green 17th for double bogey and shot even par 72.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods shot a three-over 74. Woods once went nearly eight years without missing the cut. Now he's in danger of missing the cut for the second straight week. (He missed at Quail Hollow last Friday.)

In the last two years, Woods was gone before The Players Championship ended because of injuries.

This time, it might be from his golf.

Sawgrass got the best of Woods again when he couldn't give himself birdie chances with a wedge in his hand, had only one birdie on the par 5s and wound up with a 2-over 74.

He called his latest slow start "just one of those days."

Noteworthy. No one ever has won back-to-back at The Players Championship, a streak that looks likely to remain intact. Defending champion K.J. Choi opened with a 75 and was 10 shots behind.