Former Fresno State All-American Nick Watney fired in an 8-under 64 in first-round play of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and currently sits one stroke ahead of the pack.

Watney has had an up-and-down season in 2011 PGA tournaments. He opened the season with five consecutive top-10 finishes, including a win at the World Golf Championships in March. But since then, Watney has had dismal tournaments, including a 46th-place finish at The Masters and missing the cut last weekend at the Wells Fargo Championships.

Despite Watney’s hot start at the Players Championship, Tiger Woods’ withdrawal from the first round has been the media focal point so far. Woods has battled knee and Achilles injuries since The Masters last month and opted out of the Players Championship after shooting 6-over through nine holes.

Watney, the nephew of current Fresno State golf coach Mike Watney, was a three-time All-American during his Bulldog career in the early 2000s. He sits in fourth place in the 2011 PGA money list, piling up $2,373,733.

Below is the link for up-to-date leaderboard scores from the Players Championship as the tournament unfolds. The tournament will conclude Sunday afternoon.

http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tournamentId=902