The controversial 17th hole at Sawgrass claimed American Bob Tway as one of its victims yet again today (Thursday) when the $8m Players Championship began.

Twelve months ago Tway set an unwanted tournament record for the feared island green hole when he ran up a nightmare 12, needing no fewer than five attempts to find dry land - and then three-putting.

The former US PGA champion, who came to the scene then lying in 10th place and left it down in 72nd spot, this time limited the damage to a five, carving his tee shot into the lake but pitching to six feet from the drop zone.

While a double-bogey five was hardly what he wanted after playing the first seven holes in one over, Tway was not the worst off of his group.

Fellow American Bob Estes put two balls in the water for a quadruple-bogey seven.

Playing with them was Australian Robert Allenby, happy to make his par three and remain leader by one at four under par.

Allenby had a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th, bogeyed the 14th, but then rolled in a 35-foot eagle putt at the long 16th.

However, a bogey at the 18th dropped him back to three under and into a tie with Americans Rocco Mediate and Ben Crane.

Ian Poulter, Brian Davis and Colin Montgomerie were in the group on one under.

Poulter, needing a top-three finish to qualify for the Masters in two weeks' time, was showing a return to form six days after crashing to an 82 at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando.

The Milton Keynes golfer splashed out of sand to four feet for birdie at the long 11th, bogeyed the 15th, but then hit another bunker shot to three feet on the 507-yard 16th.

And, having taken eight at a par three last week, he was relieved to walk off the 17th with a par.

Montgomerie's first task this week is to avoid what could be a career-first fourth-successive missed cut, and he made a good start by finding the green in two at the 11th and almost making his 25-foot eagle attempt.