MIAMI – Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy said he saw “a lot of progress” in his game this week after finishing in a tie for 21st at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill last weekend.
At the darkness-halted opening round of the Players Championship on March 14, the Northern Irishman matched the single-round record with 10 birdies for a seven-under 65 to share a one-shot lead with Wyndham Clark and Xander Schauffele.
“Overall, I’m really happy,” said the world No. 2 McIlroy, who won this tournament in 2019.
“Much improved from Sunday (when he carded a 76) at Bay Hill. Put a lot of work in over the last three days. Feel like I saw a lot of progress out there.
“Iron play was much improved and that’s something I’ve worked a lot on. I hit balls for five hours on Monday to try and figure it all out and I feel like I got somewhere... Just really happy to see some iron shots go close again.”
Schauffele fired a bogey-free round to stand level with McIlroy and Clark, who birdied three of the last four holes at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
“It’s always nice to go bogey-free round at Sawgrass,” the Tokyo Olympic champion said, after his lowest-ever round at the famed course.
“Just got a couple good breaks, made a couple of nice putts and all in all a good start.”
The American world No. 6, who has not won since the 2022 Scottish Open, found nine of 14 fairways in his first bogey-free score in 15 rounds at the Players.
“The bogeys, or the scares of a bogey, come when you miss the fairways,” Schauffele added. “The rough is pretty thick. Shockingly thick in some cases. You’ve just got to keep it on the short grass.”
Fifth-ranked Clark, who won at Pebble Beach in February, birdied four of the first seven holes, despite his lone bogey at the fourth. He then closed strong with three straight birdies from the 15th.
“I had a lot of control over the ball. I was putting the ball in the spots you needed to be and I just plodded my way around the course. Overall, really solid day,” said the 2023 US Open champion.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox had the first back-to-back eagles in Players history – an eagle at 16th and an ace at the famed par-three 17th island hole on the way to a 69.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Canadian Nick Taylor shared fourth on 66 with top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler another shot adrift. AFP
