Triplett, Price Share Lead in Florida

Kirk Triplett, who made it to the PGA Tour after playing on satellite circuits around the world, shot an eight-under-par 64 Thursday to share the first-round lead with Nick Price at the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Triplett holed a 194-yard, three-iron shot to highlight the round at the Sawgrass course PGA Commissioner Deane Beman built as a permanent home for the annual championship of golf’s touring pros.

“After going birdie-eagle-birdie, I was thinking about getting my name in the history book as the record-holder at the ‘Deane Dome,’ ” Triplett said.

It didn’t happen as Price, the PGA champion from South Africa, matched Triplett’s total, one shot off the record set by Fred Couples last year.

Germany’s Bernhard Langer was one stroke off the lead. Australian Greg Norman had a bogey-free 66 and was tied with Donnie Hammond, Joel Edwards and Ronnie Black.

In all, 93 players broke par. Tom Kite and John Daly were not among them. Kite was hampered by a back injury and struggled to match par, while Daly shot a 79, high score of the day.