Rory McIlroy won his race against the clock to make it to the first tee, but another big name was struck down by a back injury in the opening round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy managed to overcome the back issue that forced him to withdraw from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational on the morning of the third round after saying on tournament eve that a “game-time decision” would be required to determine his fitness.
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The defending champion made quite the statement on the first tee, smashing a 300 metre bomb with driver to dismiss the concerns about his back.
That powerful swing did not serve as a launching pad for his opening round, however.
Back-to-back wayward tee shots led to bogeys at four and five as the afternoon field plays through annoying rain.
McIlroy also duffed a chip at the par 5 second, but sat at one-over after six holes courtesy of his first birdie of the day at the sixth.
LEADERBOARD: Live scores from The Players
Meanwhile, two-time major-winner Collin Morikawa withdrew after one hole with a back injury.
Morikawa, who won his first PGA Tour title since 2023 at Pebble Beach last month, parred his opening hole at TPC Sawgrass, the 10th, but a practice swing on the 11th tee had him backing off in some discomfort.
The American consulted his trainer and after a few more swings withdrew.
“I felt fine in warm-up,” Morikawa said. “Like nothing’s been any signs of back problems. And teed it up on 11, and took one practice swing, and I just knew it was gone.
“Like I just had the feeling before when it’s happened. And I just, I can’t swing through it. Trust me, I would play if I could. It’s just the worst thing in the world.”
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It is a disappointing setback for Morikawa, who has been in fine form to start the season.
In addition to his win at Pebble Beach, the 29-year-old finished in a tie for seventh at Riviera and shared fifth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
“Honestly, coming into this year I had a lot of confidence,” Morikawa said.
“I put a lot of work into my body just to get stronger in general, get healthier, get strong, get fitter.”
Morikawa has battled back trouble before, including at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and in 2023, when he had to withdraw from the Memorial.
Wild weather has also been one of the biggest talking points of the first round with the morning groups playing through a storm until play was suspended for 21 minutes shortly after midday local time.
The afternoon tee times were pushed back half an hour, but the disruption did not stop clubhouse leader Maverick McNealy.
The 30-year-old American fired a five-under par 67 to sit one shot clear of Justin Thomas and Russell Henley.
McNealy’s lead looked shaky when he missed the fairway right on the 18th, but a funny interaction with his caddie Scout, who also happens to be his younger brother.
“I think today I just mastered the variability of what the golf course threw at us really well. It was a mixed bag of everything, felt like four different seasons out there,” McNealy said.
“When that wind flipped I knew 16 was going to be kind of my last birdie opportunity, so I had 8-iron into that hole and I was glad to take advantage of that, and then hung on really well the last two.
“I think Scout and I talked through that par save on 18 really well, and he said he was going to push me in the water if I tried to cut one onto the green, so I decided to punch out.”
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Scottie Scheffler birdied the last to shoot an ever par 72 – the same number Brooks Koepka carded in his Players return.
“I mean, I did some good things, changing weather out there, but overall I felt like I gave away some shots,” Scheffler said.
“Hoping to clean it up a little bit the next few days.”
He added: “I mean, birdieing the last is nice. It doesn’t taste as good when you bogey the 16th and 17th holes.
“But yeah, I felt like I struck my irons better today again, so that’s nice.
“I’ve got a different driver in the bag than I did last week. Kind of trying to clean things up.”
Former world No.1s Adam Scott and Jason Day are leading the Australian charge.
Scott shot a bogey free, two-under par front nine to start in impressive fashion, while fellow past champion Day was one-under after four holes.
Min Woo Lee got off to a nightmare start with a double bogey at the first and a bogey at the third, but he pulled back a shot with a birdie at the fourth.
Karl Vilips also endured a rough opening with a six at the par 4 first hole.
Cam Davis shot a five-over par 77 and the Sydneysider felt the full force of the island green par 3 17th’s brutality.
Davis’ group all dumped their tee shots into the water and were forced to head to the drop zone.
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