Since TPC Sawgrass was designed to promote uncertainty, it’s understandable that Rory McIlroy shot 65 on Thursday despite having recently struggled with his swing and missing two tee shots that ended up in the water.
In his press conference on the eve of THE PLAYERS, McIlroy bemoaned the quality of his iron play, noting that the swing idea that was so effective for his tee shots was having the reverse impact from the fairway.
“Right now, my woods are giving me this incredible feeling, but when I try to replicate it with the irons, the feeling starts to travel further left.” he said on Wednesday.
McIlroy lost on Thursday due to two poor tee shots, but he more than made up for it by dominating the one aspect of the game that he had thought to be a weakness only a few days prior. After the morning wave on Thursday, he tied for the lead with Xander Schauffele after hitting 15 greens and improving his approach performance by more than three strokes.
While McIlroy’s 10 birdies set the tournament record for most in a single round at TPC Sawgrass, his two over-par holes on Thursday were a double-bogey at No. 7 and a bogey on the 18th hole, his ninth of the day. Both were the consequence of misplaced tee drives into the water.
At the beginning of the year, McIlroy won two events in Dubai and placed second in another. But since moving to the US, he hasn’t been in the top 20. He referred to the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard held last week as a “wakeup call,” noting that it revealed he was using the incorrect strategy.
McIlroy surged into contention last Saturday, tying the scoring record on the back nine of Bay Hill Club & Lodge with a 6-under 30. As of Sunday, he was four strokes off the lead held by Scottie Scheffler but still inside the top 10. But McIlroy was never in the picture, shooting 41 on the first nine of the final round.
Scheffler is the clear favorite and number one in the world going into this week because of his outstanding performance. Not only was he the current THE PLAYERS champion, but he was also the most recent winner on the PGA TOUR when he arrived at TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy, on the other hand, was looking for a feel that would work across the bag and was willing to spend more time on the range to discover it.
“I needed to tidy up a few things, refine the method a little bit” McIlroy stated in Thursday’s post-round conference. “To be honest, I just had to invest the time. I’ve wanted to play a lot this year, but performing frequently may not leave you with much time for practice.”
He said he would have slept on Monday after a productive Sunday at Bay Hill, but instead he “grinded” on the range.
“It’s kind of paying off already, which is good.” he said.
With his 65, McIlroy tied his second-lowest score in 41 rounds at this venue. In 2016, he fired 64 here on his way to a T12 finish. In 2019, he won the PLAYERS tournament with a 65 in the second round. However, he has a very inconsistent record at TPC Sawgrass, much like many other players. In his 13 appearances, he has missed the cut six times, and in his last seven PLAYERS starts, he has only finished in the top 10.
The different courses at TPC Sawgrass mean that golfers must work the ball both ways off the tee and that long hitters do not have a significant advantage. Players are also only one swing away from catastrophe because to the abundance of penalty areas, as McIlroy demonstrated on Thursday.
He shot five fairways and eight greens in the opening eight holes of the day. On six of those holes, he made birdie, setting himself up for what may be a round to remember. However, McIlroy sent his tee shot into the water to the left of the 18th fairway. After taking a penalty drop, he nailed the green from 293 yards out and made a tremendous bogey save with his two-putt.
No. 7 had another left-hand miss that found the water, making it a double-bogey. According to McIlroy, both mishits came from hesitant strokes that were described as “guidey.” A protracted and occasionally heated argument broke out between McIlroy and his playing companions, Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth, about where the golfer should drop to at No 7. The players had to make a judgment call regarding when the ball had last crossed the hazard line because there was no video evidence to support the procedure. The fact that McIlroy’s tee strokes and both holes bend right-to-left added to the difficulty of the task.
According to McIlroy, he felt “comfortable” with taking a proper fall in each scenario. The little benefit would not outweigh the effect an incorrect drop would have on his awareness, he continued.
“I was pretty sure my ball had crossed where I was sort of dropping it. You know why it’s so difficult? There was no TV proof. I was determined. However, I believe that Spieth was only attempting to ensure that I would make the correct decision.” McIlroy said.
In fact, I was being cautious about it. In the end, I believe that we’re all attempting to safeguard both the field and ourselves. It’s not that I think the argument was unnecessary. I believe he was only attempting to confirm that what had occurred was appropriate.
On the par-5 ninth hole, McIlroy made a 17-foot birdie putt to complete the round. Along with his birdie putt at his final hole, he made three putts from 10-15 feet on Thursday, improving his score by more than three strokes. Additionally, he made all of his putts from within ten feet. This occurred during the first round at Bay Hill, following an hour-long putting session with Brad Faxon.
As he enjoys the fruits of his labors, McIlroy serves as a reminder that Scheffler is not the only player who can produce standout performances.
