With the start of the fifth major on Thursday at the 2012 Players Championship, competitors were looking to make an early statement with some red numbers in the first round. No one was hotter than Englishman Ian Poulter on this day, as he blazed through the course en route to a round of 7-under 65 to take the early lead.

Poulter had eight birdies on round today including three in a row to begin the back nine. His lone blemish on his scorecard was a bogey on the par-4 fourth hole, finding himself holding a one shot lead over Blake Adams, and two shots over Kevin Na and Ben Crane at 5-under.

As for Tiger Woods, who missed the cut last week at the Wells Fargo Championship, he simply was out of whack from hte start of his round, going bogey-birdie-bogey to start his day. He followed that up with bogies on 10, 15, and 18, but managed to birdie par-3's 13 and 17, but still finished with a disappointing round of 2-over 74, nine shots out of the lead.

Phil Mickelson is currently 1-under through seven holes.

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