TOMMY FLEETWOOD won the Players Championship's opening round after showing nerves of steel after a four-hour wait for a critical birdie putt.

Fleetwood was at his best as he measured up a nine-footer to complete a hat trick of birdies. Then, the hooter rang to stop play due to an approaching thunderstorm.

As the delay continued, he had plenty of time for thought about that putt.

The players were finally able to return to the fairway, but Southport's star player was not fazed and rolled in. He then went on to finish a stunning six-under-par 66 to set the pace at Sawgrass.

Fleetwood could use a boost of confidence as he seeks to regain the form that made him one the most beloved players in Europe's 2019 Ryder Cup victory.

Since he won the Nedbank Challenge title for South Africa in February, he has been struggling.

He was able to climb into the top ten in the world rankings with that victory. It has been a downhill road since that victory. He is currently in 49th position.

Fleetwood also revealed that his struggles caused him to become so mad, he decided to shave his beard!

He said, "I was in a very bad mood and it was either break some clubs or shave my beard. I chose to go for the whiskers.

"The beard is a big talking point. My favorite comment was made in Abu Dhabi earlier in the year. Viktor Hovland was with me - we are very close. Collin Morikawa was also there.

"Both of them looked at me and said that we needed to Google your age. We thought you were either 37 or 38. To be fair, that's quite harsh.

"So, when I shaved my beard, as I mentioned, it took me about 15 years. People noticed that I looked much younger without my beard. This is a positive.

"But Clare, my wife, prefers me with beards so I'll definitely grow them back.

"As long I can keep my temper in check and smile, I won't need to shave it again."

Hovland, Jon Rahm, and Patrick Cantlay, would have no complaints about the delay. When play was stopped, they had just reached the 17th green of the famous 'island'.

The hooter would have gone back to the tee shot if they had returned a few minutes earlier - even the top five players would not have enjoyed that chance!

They did finish their rounds. Rory McIlroy, the rest of the afternoon waves, and others barely got off the ground before darkness fell.