Rory McIlroy let his golf clubs do the talking with a brilliant approach to the 18th, setting up a birdie for an opening round of 67 and placing himself just one shot off the lead. His strong performance on the course followed an incident earlier in the week when he was heckled by a spectator during a practice round. The situation escalated when McIlroy removed the individual’s mobile phone beside the 17th tee, leading to the person being escorted out by security.
When asked about the altercation, McIlroy refused to engage, responding simply, “No, you can’t,” before adding, “Because I don’t want you to,” with a laugh. While he kept his comments on the incident brief, he was far more forthcoming about his round. Despite not driving as well as he would have liked, he capitalized on the receptive greens and made the most of his opportunities. A wayward tee shot on the 18th left him in the pine straw, but he recovered with a stunning iron shot from 161 yards, leaving himself just eight feet for birdie.
The individual involved in the heckling incident was later identified as a college golfer ranked 60th in the world amateur standings. Representing the University of Texas, he later expressed remorse, writing to McIlroy and the PGA Tour to apologize for his behavior. In a public statement, he admitted to making a mistake, acknowledging it as a learning experience. His coach also weighed in, noting that the young player had not fully grasped the consequences of his actions.
Meanwhile, at the top of the leaderboard, Lucas Glover, JJ Spaun, and Camilo Villegas shared the lead at six under par. Close behind were Billy Horschel and Min Woo Lee, alongside McIlroy at five under. Scottie Scheffler, seeking his third consecutive Players Championship title, carded a 69. He dismissed any thoughts about his past successes, emphasizing that this was a fresh tournament with new challenges.
Elsewhere, Justin Thomas had a difficult start, posting a 78. Ironically, despite recently urging his fellow professionals to engage more with the media, he declined to answer questions about his round. Matt Fitzpatrick endured a similarly frustrating day, finishing with a triple bogey and a double bogey to match Thomas’s score. Viktor Hovland fared even worse, recording an 80.
Among those who started strongly, Aaron Rai, who now resides just minutes from the course, posted an impressive 68. Robert MacIntyre, known for his ability to perform on golf’s biggest stages, signed for a three-under-par 69. Shane Lowry’s even-par 72 kept him in the mix, while Ludvig Åberg finished one under, keeping himself in contention as he eyes a potential major victory at next month’s Masters. A strong showing at The Players Championship would only add to the growing excitement surrounding the young Swede.
Jason Day withdrew before the start of the first round due to a stomach bug, leaving the field to battle it out in what promises to be an exciting tournament at Sawgrass.
