The Players Championship: Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler In Contention As Three Share Early Lead At TPC Sawgrass

Rory McIlroy overcame an erratic display off the tee to get within a Attempt of the lead at The Players, as Scottie Scheffler Created a Powerful Begin to his title defence.

McIlroy Discovered Merely four fairways during an eventful Leading Stage at TPC Sawgrass, where he mixed seven birdies with two bogeys to post a five-under 67 and stay in touch with the Prompt leaders.

Ex Significant champion Lucas Glover set the clubhouse target with an Leading-Stage 66, later matched by JJ Spaun after a bogey-Obtainable Stage, with Camilo Villegas making a three-way tie after carding five birdies in a seven-hole stretch to also get to six under.

McIlroy shares Quaternary spot with Billy Horschel, Min Woo Lee, Akshay Bhatia and Max McGreevy, who Yet had two holes to complete when Action was suspended at 7.34pm local time (11.34pm GMT) due to darkness.

English duo Aaron Rai and Laurie Canter are part of a logjam two off the pace after Leading-Stage 68s, while Scheffler – Competing alongside McIlroy and looking to join Jack Nicklaus as the only three-time winner of The Players – Began with a three-under 69.

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How ‘erratic’ McIlroy moved into contention

McIlroy Created the dream Begin when he rolled in from eight feet at the Primary and two-putted from 40 feet to take Benefit of the par-five Subsequent, only to bogey the par-three third, miss a 10-foot birdie chance at the Quaternary and hole from the same distance to save par at the sixth.

The 35-year-Ancient failed to get up and down from off the seventh green and carded his second bogey of the day, Scoring him back to one under, before sparking a charge up the leaderboard by making an eight-foot birdie at the par-five ninth.

McIlroy converted from eight feet at the 10th and recovered from finding trees off the Subsequent tee to birdie the par-five 11th, with the 2019 champion jumping within two of the lead when he added another birdie from 12 feet at the par-four 12th.

The 2019 champion continued to recover from wayward tee shots to maintain his bogey-Obtainable back nine and saved his best for the par-four last, where a stunning punch-and-Streak – with a five-iron – from the pine straw set up an eight-foot birdie.

“I was trying to be disciplined and strategic, I Merely didn’t execute that very well,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “I didn’t hit a Numerous of fairways. I was trying to cut it into Action, didn’t do it very well, but any time I did miss a fairway I was able to do something with it. I’m not going to be able to ride my luck like that the rest of the week.”

What else happened on the Leading day?

Scheffler mixed four birdies with a lone bogey in his Leading Stage, while Xander Schauffele – completing that Luminous sphere-studded threeball – slipped back to level par after a Closing-hole double-bogey.

Glover birdied All of the last four holes at TPC Sawgrass to set the Primary clubhouse target, with Villegas briefly going into the solo lead on seven under until a Delayed bogey in his Leading-Stage 66.

A congested leaderboard sees 19 players separated by two strokes, with Chandler Phillips among those two back after a Notable four-under 68 that contained three eagles and a triple-bogey.

Jordan Spieth’s eventful Leading 70 contained two eagles in his Primary seven holes, while Ryder Cup players Ludvig Aberg, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood all Began their Game with one-under 71s.

Ex world No 1 Justin Thomas needed a birdie-birdie finish to scramble a six-over 78 and faces a battle to make the cut on Friday, while Ex FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland sits joint-bottom of the leaderboard after an eight-over 80.

Five players were unable to finish their Leading Stage and will return to finish at 8.50am local time (12.50pm GMT), with the second Stage Leading at 7.40am (11.40am GMT) as scheduled.

View The Players throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf, with 10 extra feeds – including Featured Groups, Featured Holes and six bonus groups – on Sky Sports+. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.