Woods off to a lacklustre start in Florida

Tiger Woods, usually unhappy to play four bad shots in a round, had four in a single hole today when he began the £4million Players Championship in Florida.

The world No1, whose 46th place in last week's Bay Hill Invitational was his worst finish in five years, had the advantage of calm conditions for the start of his bid to win golf 's richest-ever event.

But his swing, rather the weather, continued to trouble him. He followed a wayward drive on the 532-yard second hole with three equally poor strokes to finish with a bogey six.

Wood was two over after eight holes, seven shots behind the early pacesetters, South Korea's KJ Choi and the Australian Adam Scott. Darren Clarke started well to be two under after six holes, a stroke clear of Nick Faldo. Paul Lawrie was level par after nine holes.