For most players who endured this test of survival, the smiles were provided through gritted teeth. With an at-times swirling, at times-gusting wind accentuating the challenges of the TPC at Sawgrass course in yesterday's first round of The Players, the mirror-images were provided by familiar figures: Tiger Woods, who lost to the course; and Phil Mickelson, one of the few to triumph over it.

To be sure, it was - in the main - a batten-down-the-hatches sort of day.

Mickelson, who has sought help from Woods' one-time coach Butch Harmon in an effort to solve his driving woes, and Rory Sabbatini, the in-form South African who has suddenly discovered the secret of tackling this layout after almost a decade of failure, claimed a share of the clubhouse lead with opening rounds of 67s, five under par.

Yet, it was the fate that befell Woods - among others - which produced the most empathy with the goings-on. The world's number one failed to record a single birdie, and finally scribbled his signature to a round of 75, three over.

The last time Woods played a round without a birdie was in the 2003 US Open in Chicago. At least that day, he did include an eagle in his round.

The last time he went around without picking up a single shot, birdie or eagle, against the course was in the first round of the Masters at Augusta in 2003.

Yesterday, though, Woods couldn't buy a birdie and, instead, suffered three three-putts.

"I don't think I've ever had a three-putt that felt good," admitted Woods, before predicting what he would have to do to get back into the tournament. "I've got to stay patient, just hit the ball as consistently as I did today and to make a few putts. I found the greens a little tricky to read."

Woods wasn't alone in battling the course. Indeed, other players suffered more at the hands of a course that, despite heavy rain the previous night, played fast and firm due to the underground vacuums that literally sucked the moisture from the soil.

Davis Love, for example, was one under as he stood on the 17th tee, only to record a quadruple-bogey seven, and he followed that disaster by recording a double-bogey on the last for a 77.

The agony went on for some longer than others. Japan's Daisuke Maruyama double-bogeyed four of the last five holes in an 85 and later withdrew, citing a back injury.

But David Howell's tournament lasted just two holes, the Englishman forced to withdraw with a back injury that had forced him to spend time on the physiotherapy couch in the practice days rather than on the range.

Likewise, Darren Clarke's tournament was ended prematurely by the recurring hamstring injury that has dogged his return to competition over the past three weeks, while Padraig Harrington's opening round was a real grind.

He started off by pulling his opening tee-shot and incurred penalty drops on the first and fifth holes on the way to reaching the turn in 39, three over.

But not everyone endured trying times. Sabbatini, who has made only one cut here in seven appearances, continued his good form which has seen him finish in the top-three at each tournament since the US Masters, while Mickelson - who has never won The Players - revelled in the demands placed on a player's short game with the run-off areas around the greens forcing players to use imagination in their shotmaking.

Despite hitting only five of 14 fairways and finding just 12 of 18 greens in regulation, Mickelson produced a round that comprised six birdies and a lone bogey.

Naturally, he has embraced the course changes conducted since last year's tournament.

"I like it a lot more now, because it incorporates the short game as a much more important part of the scoring. With the shaved areas around the greens, you have a variety of shots that you can play. People are chipping with hybrids, chipping with lobwedges, chipping with four- and six-irons, and a lot are putting as well. In the past, you were just chopping the ball out," said Mickelson.

While Mickelson and Sabbatini shared the clubhouse lead, US Ryder Cup player Chris DiMarco also signalled an overdue return to form with a 68. DiMarco has been plagued with injuries this season. "I've been pretty much injury free my whole career. Give me 20 minutes before my round, I'm ready to go most of the time. I don't need to hit balls. But last year was a fluke. I got injured skiing, injured the back of my ribs, and it took me four to five months to get over that and I was doing great. Then, my shoulder started hurting early this year. I had a cortisone shot (in March) and it started popping out after that."

Yesterday, unlike Messrs Howell, Clarke and Maruyama, DiMarco stayed injury free.