Sergio Garcia took the lead after the first round at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach on Thursday.

Leaderboard: The Players Championship

The Spaniard was 6-under after the first round to hold a two-shot lead over Americans Kenny Perry and Paul Goydos, who finished the day at minus-4.

Steve Elkington, Ian Poulter, Heath Slocum, Niclas Fasth and Todd Hamilton were hanging around the lead at 3-under.

Phil Mickelson, the defending TPC champion, shot a 2-under. He was in a tie with a large group that included Fred Couples and Angel Cabrera.

The tournament is being played without the winners of the past two major championships.

Top-ranked Tiger Woods, who won last year's final major -- the PGA Championship -- was still recovering from a knee surgery he had after the Masters. It is unknown when he will return to the course.

Trevor Immelman, the winner of this year's Masters, withdrew from the tournament because of an unspecified illness.