McIlroy one off Players lead as heckler apologises14th March 2025
The Players Championship- first-round leaderboard
-6 JJ Spaun (US), C Villegas (Col), L Glover (US); -5 M Lee (Aus), B Horschel (US) R McIlroy (NI)
Selected others: -4 D McCarthy (US), C Phillips (US), R Fowler (US), A Rai (Eng); -3 S Scheffler (US), R MacIntyre (Sco); -2 C Morikawa (US), J Spieth (US); -1 J Rose (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng)
Rory McIlroy hit seven birdies in an impressive five-under-par 67 to sit one off the lead after the first round of The Players Championship in Florida.
Former US Open champion Lucas Glover is one of three players who shot a 66 to lead on six under.
American Glover, 45, birdied each of his last four holes – including the famous par-three 17th ‘island’ hole – and was joined at the top of the leaderboard by compatriot JJ Spaun and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas.
McIlroy, the world number two, also took advantage of sun-drenched conditions on the opening day of the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament at TPC Sawgrass and closed with an excellent birdie on the 18th.
His drive ended up on pine straw among trees to the right of the fairway, but his second shot finished just eight feet from the cup and he knocked in the putt.
“I was just trying to chip-and-run a five iron up around the front of the green and make four, and get out of there,” said the 2019 winner from Northern Ireland, who is joint second with American Billy Horschel and Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
“It was a bonus to get it up on the green and hole the putt was a lovely way to finish.
“I certainly didn’t drive it the way I wanted to. Didn’t hit it in as many fairways as I would have liked.
“I think with the greens being so receptive, you can get away with it a little bit. I’m not going to be able to get away with it for the rest of the week.
“I sort of rode my luck out there a little bit.”
McIlroy edged clear of his playing partners in a star-studded group, which featured world number one Scottie Scheffler and number three Xander Schauffele. The marquee group will start round two at 12:24 GMT on Friday.
Defending champion Scheffler signed for a three-under 69 as he kick-started his attempt to claim a record third consecutive Players victory, while Schauffele posted a level-par 72.
English pair Aaron Rai and Laurie Canter both had six birdies and two bogeys as they opened with 68s, one shot better than Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre, who had one fewer birdie in his 69.
The field for the tournament includes 48 of the world’s top 50-ranked players.
McIlroy was also asked about an incident during a practice round earlier this week.
A video of the incident went viral on social media as it appeared to show the Northern Irishman approaching a spectator, asking for their phone, and marching off with it.
McIlroy declined to comment following his opening round.
However the spectator at the centre of the incident has apologised.
University of Texas golfer Luke Potter was reported to have heckled McIlroy over a shot that found the water, referencing the 2011 Masters, when McIlroy fell apart on the final day.
“I just made a mistake, and I take ownership for it. I apologise for it. That’s about all that needs to be said,” he told the Golf Channel.
Potter was named the Golf Channel’s top-ranked player in the Class of 2022 and was named the 2019 California Freshman Athlete of the Year – the first golfer since Tiger Woods to win that plaudit.
His coach, John Fields, told Golf.com: “It’s an embarrassing moment. It is particularly sensitive to me because our program is built on respect for the game.”
He said Potter had sent written apologies to McIlroy and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.