| -7 S Garcia (Esp); -5 B Harman (US) -4 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), C Conners (Can), S Lowry (Ire); -3 L Westwood (Eng), T Hoge (US), D McCarthy (US), B DeChambeau (US), P Kizzire (US) R Sabbatini (Slo), W Zalatoris (US); -2 P Reed (US), J Spieth (US), J Day (Aus); -1 C Morikawa (US), R Knox (Sco); P Mickelson (US), J Thomas (US); |
| Selected others: E T Fleetwood (Eng),J Rahm (Esp);+1 G McDowell (NI), P Casey (Eng); +2 R MacIntyre (Sco); +4 T Hatton (Eng); +5 I Poulter (Eng); +7 R McIlroy (NI) |
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Rory McIlroy made a disappointing start to the defence of his title at the Players Championship as he slumped to a seven-over 79 at TPC Sawgrass.
Starting on the back nine, the Northern Irishman’s opening round included a quadruple-bogey eight after finding the water twice at the 18th.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia holds a two-shot lead, with an eagle on his final hole moving him to seven under.
American Brian Harman is second after carding a 67 featuring eight birdies.
Bryson DeChambeau, winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend, picked up where he left off at Bay Hill to sit four shots off the lead after a first-round three-under 69 – a score matched by last week’s runner-up Lee Westwood who also continued his good form in Florida.
US PGA Champion Collin Morikawa is two shots further back on one under, while another one of the late starters, world number one Dustin Johnson, could only card a one-over round of 73.
Rory’s nightmare start
McIlroy is the defending champion after winning the Players Championship two years ago, with the 2020 tournament cancelled prior to the second round because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He made an awful start when he hooked his drive on the 10th into the undergrowth and had to take a penalty drop on his way to a double-bogey six.
The four-time major champion also three-putted the par-three 13th before hitting two balls into the water at the 18th, with another three-putt resulting in a quadruple-bogey eight that left him seven over par and 10 shots off the lead at that point.
A birdie from nine feet on the first hole saw McIlroy begin to repair some of the damage, and he made another on the second, despite again hitting a poor drive, but bogeys on the next two holes dropped him back to seven over.
He clawed one shot back at the fifth but another three-putt on the ninth saw him sign for a 79, equalling the highest opening round of a defending champion set by Sandy Lyle in 1988.
Sergio shines at Sawgrass
McIlroy’s struggles were in sharp contrast to his playing partner Garcia.
The 2008 champion made an eagle on the par-five 16th and birdied the seventh and eighth before holing from 18 feet for a closing eagle to complete a superb 65 – his lowest opening round at the Players Championship.
“I’ve always said it, Valderrama and this course are some of my top favourite ones and for some reason it just kind of fits my eye,” Garcia said.
“I see what I want to do pretty much every hole and then it’s a matter of doing it, but definitely I feel more comfortable and I’ve done well here. So all those things help.”
Fitzpatrick, Lowry and Westwood in contention
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick is three shots behind Garcia alongside Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Canadian Corey Conners after carding an opening round 68, which included four birdies and a chip-in eagle on the par-five ninth.
Westwood, looking to go one better than his runner-up finish in last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, is among a group one shot further back on three under.
“I built up a lot of confidence last week, putted nicely, made good par saves when I needed to and that’s what you need in these kind of tournaments where three under is a good score,” said Westwood.
“I could see going out this morning that nobody was going to burn it up, you were going to have play conservatively sometimes, smart golf, and that’s what I tried to do.”
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre signed for a two-over round of 74 on his Players Championship debut, just a week after making his PGA Tour debut at Bay Hill and breaking into the world’s top 50. Russell Knox is the leading Scot on one under.
Justin Rose withdrew from the tournament hours before his tee-time and was replaced by US Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker.
The former world number one cited “personal medical reasons” for his withdrawal, though he pulled out mid-round from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend because of a back injury.
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