Cal Golf: Max Homa, Michael Kim Among Leaders at The Players Championship

Both shot 4-under 68s and are within 3 strokes of three players sharing the lead.

Former Cal golfers Max Homa and Michael Kim shot opening rounds of 68 and are just three strokes off the lead at the 50th Players Championship on TPC Sawgrass at Ponte Vedra, Florida on Friday.

Homa, the 33-year-old Cal alum who is ranked No. 8 in the world, recorded seven birdies and was at 5-under before making a bogey on No. 18.

Kim, 30, still searching for his first PGA tour victory, started on the back nine and had three birdies and one bogey before making the turn. He did the same thing on the front nine to close out his 4-under round of 68.

Homa and Kim are among nine golfers tied for 13th place.

Former Cal golfer Michael Kim is tied for 13th place.

Photo by Andy Abeyta, USA Today

Byeong Hun An, 32, who attended Cal for a single season before turning pro, is part of a 15-way logjam for 22nd place at 3-under 69. Ranked 41st in the world he had five birdies and two bogeys.

Along with Hideki Matsuyama, Tony Finau and others, An is four strokes off the pace.

Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, 27, ranked 15th in the world, shot a 1-under 71 and is six strokes back after finishing the day among 20 players tied for 56th.

Morikawa shot a steady round, featuring just one bogey and two birdies.

Among the leaders, world No. 2 McIlroy had the most unusual day. He hit his drive on the seventh hole — his 16th hole of the day — to the left and it crossed a hazard and went into the water.

He thought his ball hit above the red line, which would have allowed him to make a drop at that spot. And TV cameras couldn’t resolve it because that are on the seventh hole is a blind spot.

Instead, he wound up making a double bogey. Then he hit a ball into the water two holes later for another bogey. With pars on those two holes, his scored would have been dramatically better.

"It would have been nice to shoot 62 and not hit two in the water," McIlroy said.

Addressing the confusion about where his ball hit, McIlroy added, “I think this golf course more than any other, it sort of produces those situations a little bit."

Tom Kim, ranked 18th in the world and unrelated to Michael Kim, withdrew from the event eight holes into his round because of illness.

Cover photo of Max Homa by Reinhold Matay, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo