TPC Golf : Ken Green, 4 Others Share Lead With 66s

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — Ken Green, nursing a sore wrist and “not even sure I was going to play,” scrambled to a six-under-par 66 and a share of the first-round lead Thursday in the Tournament Players Championship golf tournament.

He needed only a four-foot putt on the 18th hole to take sole control of the lead but missed it and dropped back into a five-way tie in the annual championship of golf’s touring pros.

“No complaints,” said Green, whose only victory came last year in the Buick Open.

“I got a lot of lucky breaks--the ball bouncing out of the trees and onto the green--that kind of thing--so I can’t complain about missing that putt. I thought I made it, but I didn’t.”

Green said he hurt his wrist a week ago.

“I figured I’d just go for a walk in the park and see what happened,” he said.

“When I got started birdie-eagle, I was flat-out shocked. I expected to hit the ball all over the lot.”

The missed four-footer cost him a bogey and dropped him back into a tie for the lead with Tony Sills, Bob Tway, Keith Fergus and Larry Mize.

“A perfect day; no wind and soft greens,” said Tway, who had a 31 on the front nine.

Raymond Floyd, Lanny Wadkins, Willie Wood and David Edwards were at 67 in the event that offers $900,000 in total prizes and $162,000 to the winner.

Lee Trevino did not make a bogey and led a group at 68 that also included Danny Edwards, Doug Tewell, Mark O’Meara, J.C. Snead and Mark Wiebe.

Andy Bean had a piece of the lead with three holes to go but finished bogey/bogey/double-bogey for a 70. Tom Watson had the same score.

Defending champion Calvin Peete, a winner last week at New Orleans, was at 73. Jack Nicklaus, the only three-time TPC winner, had a 74 after a double-bogey on No. 18. Arnold Palmer was at 75.