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Rory McIlroy got off to a nightmare start defending his Players Championship title when Sergio Garcia set the pace at TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy’s measly 79, which included a quad phantom on the 18th, equaled the worst opening round of the event by a defending champion, set by Sandy Lyle in 1988.
And he was 14 shots worse than teammate Garcia, who fired two eagles and four birdies on a 65-for-seven under par to enjoy a three-shot clubhouse lead over former Ryder Cup teammate Matt Fitzpatrick and the Canadian Corey Conners.
In contrast to Garcia, McIlroy hitched his drive on the 10th, his first hole, in the undergrowth and had to shoot a penalty on his way to a double bogey six.
McIlroy also made three putts at par three 13, but the worst was on 18, where he threw two balls into the water that ran the length of the hole and compounded the error with another triple to reach the corner at 43.
The champion has fallen. Rory McIlroy quadruple bogey at No. 18. pic.twitter.com/dIfMf72WxG
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 11, 2021
That equaled his career-high nine-hole score on the PGA Tour: Masters 2011, final round; 2014 Memorial, second round, and although birdies in the first and second repaired some of the damage, McIlroy quickly bogeyed the next two holes.
A birdie in the fifth was followed by three pairs and another bogey in the ninth par five, where McIlroy was unlucky enough to find a tricky trap in a green bunker, but then made three putts from 25 feet.
McIlroy had spoken at his pre-tournament press conference about fighting with a ‘two-way glitch’ and said: ‘You’re trying to figure it out, but you still know you’re not really sure where the shots are coming from and then it’s hard at least trying to remove one side of the golf course, basically. “
Two bogeys in his last nine saw Graeme McDowell hit a one out of 73 in a steady round that featured 15 pairs.
Shane Lowry started at 6.11pm Irish time and was between one and three.
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Garcia, who won the Players’ Championship in 2008 and lost a play-off in 2015, birdied at 15 and jumped on 16 to get to the corner at 33 and finished his round in style with birdies at seventh and eighth and a eagle in the ninth. .
“I’ve always said it, Valderrama and this field are some of my favorites and for some reason it fits my eyes,” Garcia said.
“I see what I want to do on practically every hole and then it’s a matter of doing it, but I definitely feel more comfortable and I’ve done well here. So all those things help.”
Fitzpatrick was five under par after 10 holes, but he made three putts on both par fives in the last nine for par and also three putts on dangerous 17 on his way to an opening of 68.
His compatriot Lee Westwood, who finished second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, was a shot behind after putting all his experience to good use.
“I could see coming out this morning that no one was going to burn it, you were going to have to play conservative sometimes, golf smart, and that’s what I tried to do,” the 47-year-old said.
“I’m not short, but I’m not one of the bombers here. I’m going to be more suitable for Bay Hill or here or Honda next week where you have to shape it on some of the streets. I can use a little more cunning and cunning to get around this type of golf course. “
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