Rory McIlroy chose to let his clubs speak for themselves. The Northern Irishman’s ability to create his storyline was highlighted by a wondrous approach to the 18th, which resulted in a birdie for his first-round score of 67. After McIlroy was heckled by an aspiring golfer during a practice round at Sawgrass, social media went into its usual frenzy in the lead-up to this Players Championship. McIlroy was caught on camera removing the inconsiderate spectator’s phone beside the 17th tee before security kicked the person out. McIlroy said, “No, you can’t,” when asked if he could be questioned about the incident. Why not? The response was, “Because I don’t want you to.”
Despite his laughter, the 2019 champion maintained his clear position. He spoke much more candidly about the tournament scenario, which shows that McIlroy is only one point ahead. He finally found pine straw on the tee and hit a great iron from 161 yards to 8 feet from the cup. “I certainly didn’t drive it the way I wanted to,” McIlroy stated. I didn’t hit it in as many fairways as I wanted to. You might be able to get away with it because the greens are so receptive. I won’t be able to continue doing it for the remainder of the week. I kind of kind of rode my luck a little bit out there.” McIlroy immediately went to the range after finishing his work with the media. It had come to light that the person who sledgehammered McIlroy is a college golfer who is ranked 60th in the world among amateurs. Luke Potter is a representative for the University of Texas, which Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler attended. Potter has written to McIlroy and the PGA Tour to express remorse for his actions.
“Look, I just made a mistake and I take ownership for it,” Potter told golfchannel.com. I regret the oversight. That is about all there is to say. It’s just a great learning opportunity. Yes, I am sorry. Even John Fields, a well-known golf coach from Texas, got involved. “He’s got a hole in his heart,” Fields of Potter said. He had no idea what would come out of his mouth in this way. What a hilarious episode with a teacup storm! We can only hope that McIlroy and Potter will meet in a Ryder Cup matchup in the future. Lucas Glover, JJ Spaun, and Camilo Villegas are the leaders at six under. Along with Billy Horschel and Min Woo Lee, McIlroy is a five. Scheffler made a 69 as he pursues a third Players title in succession. Scheffler insisted, “I didn’t think at all about last year.” When it comes to this tournament, the results of last year have no real bearing. This is a new four rounds and 72 holes and today I got off to a good start.”
It was funny that Justin Thomas didn’t answer questions after round one. The two-time major champion encouraged fellow PGA Tour professionals to engage with the media more frequently in a passionate letter earlier this year. “We’re extremely fortunate to have many passionate people tuning in to watch us every week,” Thomas stated. “But let’s be honest—this game can feel a little distant at times.”
Thomas, on the other hand, was providing insight into the bruising 78 rather than being led out of the arena by a member of his management team. Not what I do, but what I say. Another player who struggled was Matt Fitzpatrick, who tied Thomas’s score with a triple bogey and double bogey. The score of Viktor Hovland dropped to 80. Aaron Rai, now a resident just a five-minute drive from Sawgrass, opened with an impressive 68. By signing for a 69, Robert MacIntyre continued his strong performances on the biggest stages of golf. It appears that MacIntyre enjoys the most difficult tests. Shane Lowry’s level par 72 was perfectly passable in a scoring context. The ominous Ludvig berg can be found one level below. The Swede’s opportunity to win a major at the Masters next month will excite him. The existing adulation for Berg would only grow if the players achieved glory. Jason Day withdrew before the start of the first round, with a stomach bug cited as cause for the Australian’s non-participation.xxx
