Woods and Mickelson get early birdies

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson did not have to wait long for their first birdie when the Players Championship – golf’s richest event – began at Sawgrass in Florida today.

Woods, toppled as world number one on Sunday by Vijay Singh just two weeks after ending his six-month reign, sank a 25-foot putt on the long 11th, his second hole.