Wind makes for wild round at Honda Classic in Florida

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Gusty winds sent 8-iron shots flying 245 yards, while some 4-irons struggled to go 185. The breezes had a few balls fluttering on the greens, most of the players couldn't break par and golf's rarest feat spiced up the afternoon.

Indeed, Thursday's opening round of the Honda Classic had almost everything.

David Toms made five straight birdies to highlight his 5-under round of 67, and he shared the first-round lead with Geoff Ogilvy, Ryuji Imada and Mathias Gronberg -- the seventh alternate who didn't know he was officially in the field until Wednesday morning.

Southeast winds from 15 to 25 mph, with higher gusts, began blowing early and strengthened steadily before dissipating some by day's end. The average score was 74.28 -- the highest first-round mark on tour this year, and three players couldn't play their final hole because of darkness.

Ogilvy's round was bizarre: 11 pars, two eagles, two birdies, a bogey, a double bogey -- and a double eagle on the sixth hole. His tee shot, with the wind, went 373 yards; his 8-iron from 169 hit the green, hopped three times and dropped in the cup's center.

"When things are going your way," said Ogilvy, who won the Match Play Championship this season, "things are going your way."