By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.com

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Other players might have gotten frustrated. They might have let those back-to-back bogeys lead to even more dropped shots.

Phil Mickelson, though, responded to bogeys at Nos. 18 and 1 -- his ninth and 10th holes of the day -- with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 second. The defending champion also rolled in a 4-footer for birdie at the ninth to finish off a solid 70 in the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship.

By Steve DiMeglio, USA Today

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — When it comes to the decade-long debate about the status of The Players Championship, British Open winner Padraig Harrington thinks the tournament will one day be considered as a (fifth) major championship.

by Thomas Bonk, Los Angeles Times

The defending champion in this week's Players says his efforts to improve his long game may have hurt his short game a bit, but he's optimistic that everything is coming together.

PGA.com

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Phil Mickelson added to his victory resume a year ago at THE PLAYERS Championship when he came from behind on the final day to defeat Sergio Garcia by two strokes at TPC Sawgrass.

By Gary Smits, The Florida Times-Union

Phil Mickelson used to be a duck out of water at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course.

And he'd tell you that.