PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida: One week after missing the cut for the first time since last June, Nick Watney opened with an 8-under 64 to take a one-shot lead over Wells Fargo winner Lucas Glover among early starters at The Players Championship. It was Watney's best score by four shots on the TPC Sawgrass, even with a double bogey on his card on Thursday. Glover won last week at Quail Hollow for the first time in two years and kept right on going, making a birdie on the island-green 17 in his round of 65. US PGA champion Martin Kaymer, who can go back to No. 1 in the world this week if he wins, was among those at 65. Tiger Woods withdrew at the turn from leg injuries that left his immediate future in doubt. Woods had suffered a left knee and Achilles injury during the third round of the Masters in April and had not played since that tie for fourth spot at Augusta. “The knee acted up and then the Achilles followed after that and then the calf started cramping up,” said Woods, who trailed his playing partners as they walked the course. “Everything started getting tight, so it's just a whole chain reaction.” Woods played his first five holes Thursday in five over — including a triple bogey at the fourth hole. His 42 on the front nine was three shots higher than his previous worst nine-hole score at Sawgrass. “The Achilles and knee would be sore, but you're not worse than what icing and treatment wouldn't do at night,” he said. “So this morning, felt fine during warm-up, and then as I played, it progressively got worse.” Bourdy sets record pace In Spain, France's Gregory Bourdy set a new course record of seven under 63 to lead the Iberdrola Open by one shot Thursday as the Pula Golf Club remembered Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros. Bourdy, who won his first career title here at the 2007 Mallorca Classic, leads by a shot from England's Danny Willett with Englishman Matthew Nixon and Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke together in third place, two shots off the lead. “I feel very good and I like this course — I won three years ago so everything is great here,” said Bourdy, who has three European Tour titles to his name. Bourdy, 29, went out in a five under par 31 after starting at the tenth, and then birdied the first to complete a run of four successive gains. He then holed a six footer at the third and from 30 feet at the par three eighth, with his two bogeys coming at the 15th and seventh. Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, who designed the course, returned a one over 71. The Spaniard and his predecessor Colin Montgomerie missed their practice round to attend Seve Ballesteros' funeral on Wednesday. The Scot dropped five shots in his last three holes for a 77. Players and officials attended a memorial service at the course Wednesday while all 18 flags on the course were decked with black ribbons as a mark of respect for Ballesteros who died at the weekend.
