Philip Reid's round-up from the Players' Championship.

Illness forces Immelman out

TREVOR Immelman got a good break for once from the golfing gods with his win at the Masters last month; but the ugly flip side returned at The Players, when he was forced to withdraw prior to his scheduled first round where he was due to partner Pádraig Harrington and Woody Austin.

The South African - who was bedevilled with illness throughout 2007 and required surgery in January to remove a benign tumour from his diaphragm - was forced to withdraw yesterday after waking up suffering from an upset stomach and vomiting. He returned to his home in Orlando, a 2½-hour drive, to recover.

"Trevor's certainly disappointed, as the Players championship is one he looks forward to every year," said his agent, Jon Wagner of IMG.

Dustin Johnson, a member of the winning United States team in the Walker Cup at Royal County Down last September, took Immelman's place as first reserve and acquitted himself well with an opening 73. Johnson got to the course at 6.15am, before the first tee time, and was only a short time in the locker room when he received a text message from the tour informing him that he was in the field.

Another casualty yesterday was Jason Gore, who played just four holes - going par-quadruple bogey-bogey-double bogey - at which point he was seven-over-par before retiring, citing illness, while Hunter Mahan - having started with two pars - was forced to withdraw, also due to illness.

Poulter's golf does the talking

FASHION-conscious Ian Poulter took some stick earlier this season for daring to suggest he was the only player capable of challenging Tiger Woods . . . and, in Woods's absence, Poulter let his clubs do the talking instead as he fired an opening round 69.

"It's always nice to get off to a good start, it gives you confidence. I've generally played well (in tournaments) when getting off to a good start. This is a tournament everyone wants to win, and that's why it is rated as probably the fifth major . . . I've started to drive the ball well again and the key for me is to hit fairways and give myself a chance to make birdies. It's nice to drive the ball well around this golf course, knowing I'm hitting my irons well," said Poulter.

Hole 14 takes its toll on day one

TOUGHEST hole on the course? Surprise, surprise - it wasn't the 18th. The par-four that has water off the tee and all down the left of the fairway up to the green traditionally emerges as the toughest hole but, in yesterday's first round, had to give way to the 481-yards par-four 14th which averaged over 4.45 on the day. The 18th was the second hardest hole, averaging 4.38.

New date a success

THE decision to move The Players away from the March date it held for so long in the calendar is working - at least as far as the weather is concerned! Once dogged by thunderstorms when played in March, the move to May - this is the second year - has brought temperatures in the high-80 degrees Fahrenheit. But be warned: the forecast for both Friday and Saturday anticipates "partly cloudy, windy, very warm and humid . . . a slight chance of thunderstorms."