PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — A strong wind swirled around the famed island green, turning what should have been a seemingly simple tee shot into a daunting challenge for even the world's best golfers.

And when the opening round at The Players Championship was complete Thursday, the par-3 No. 17 had tormented and frustrated a good chunk of the field.

A record 50 balls were hit into the murky water surrounding the green, breaking the single-round tournament mark of 45 set in 2000. It also was seven shy of the total number of balls hit into the water in four rounds last year.

"That was certainly the toughest shot," co-leader Phil Mickelson said.

Mickelson was one of the lucky ones, escaping the 17th with a par. It helped him finish at 5-under 67 and share the first-round lead with Rory Sabbatini.

Tiger Woods shot 75 and was without a birdie on his card for the first time in four years.

Chris DiMarco, winless in five years and now coping with a bum shoulder, shot 68 for his best round of the year. Peter Lonard was another stroke back in fourth. Only 16 players broke par, and Retief Goosen (71) had the only bogey-free round.

No. 17 — and the blustery conditions — had a lot to do with the relatively high scores.

"Not golfing weather, really," Vijay Singh said. "Today was weather when you come out here and look around and go back to your car and go home."

Unfortunately for some, that wasn't an option.

They played in gusts nearing 40 mph, and the results showed — especially on the Stadium Course's signature hole.

Players, good and bad, dunk an estimated 150,000 balls into the water surrounding No. 17 each year. For four days, though, the pros take over and usually fare much better.

Not Thursday.

About a third of the field found water during the opening round and made the short, somewhat embarrassing walk to the drop area for a third shot.

Davis Love III, Ben Curtis, Kent Jones and Trevor Immelman couldn't even hit the green from there, needing to tee it up for a third time before landing on the 90-by-85 foot putting surface. They finished with quadruple-bogey 7s.

The 128-yard hole played tougher than any other, mostly because the wind swirled in different directions.

There were 12 birdies, 70 pars, 26 bogeys, 23 double bogeys and 12 "others."