Oh sandy: Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker on the 13th hole during the first round of the 93rd PGA Championship Photo: GETTY IMAGES Woods, starting at the tenth, lost five shots between the 15th and 18th, holes a dreaded sequence that will come to define the 93rd US PGA championship.
Woods had it easy compared to Ishikawa, who was a remarkable 15 over after 13 holes.
Ishikawa, who tied fourth at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last week, had five doubles and a triple bogey in that awful run, unravelling completely over the closing four holes, where eight shots went.
The ebullience of Wednesday, when golden possibilities stretched before Woods, drowned in the water that embellishes the fabled sequence that starts at the 15th.
Woods, starting at the 10th, was three under after five holes. His birdie at the 14th was the Woods of old, tee shot up the middle, laser-like approach to four feet, birdie.
And then came the long, 260-yard par three monster that is 15. Woods hit it into the water down the right and walked off with a double-bogey five.
After finding sand at the uphill 16th off the tee he carved his second shot right and dumped his third into the front left bunker to set up another bogey.
He negotiated the watery 17th well enough but was in trouble at the 507 yard 18th, finding sand off the tee and at the side of the green. A double bogey was the result, taking him to two-over par at the turn.
Woods also bogeyed the first to start his back nine as he closed the front, losing six shots in the space of five holes.
Luke Donald also doubled the 15th to return to level par but recovered his losses to stand two under with six to play.
Steve Stricker was the early pace-setter, posting a hat-trick of birdies over his opening three holes, starting at the tenth. He added another at the 15th to lead on four under par.
Rory McIlroy tees off at 6.45pm UK time, and Lee Westwood ten minutes later.
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