Players Championship R1: McIlroy, Clark and Schauffele share lead

Players Championship round one leaderboard

• W. Clark, X. Schauffele, R. McIlroy -7
• N. Taylor, M. Fitzpatrick -6
• T. Hoge, J. Day, L. Aberg, M. Homa, S. Scheffler, W. Clark, M. McNealy -5

Selected others:

• H. Matsuyama -3, T. Fleetwood -2, R. Fowler E, J. Thomas -1, V. Hovland +1, S. Lowry +1, J. Spieth +2

Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark shared the lead after 18 holes of the 2024 Players Championship. 

McIlroy, Schauffele and Clark all returned scorecards of 7-under 65 at the PGA Tour's flagship event. 

The Northern Irishman raced out of the blocks at TPC Sawgrass by making birdie on four of his first five holes. 

He dropped a shot at the 18th (his ninth of the day) after finding water off the tee. 

And he put four more circles on his scorecard to end the day at the summit alongside the two American players. 

His round was marred, however, due to a rules debate with Jordan Spieth. 

That debate occurred on the par-4 seventh hole after McIlroy again found water off the tee.

McIlroy was adamant his golf ball pitched above the red hazard line before it bounced off the bank and found a watery grave. 

Spieth wasn't so sure and also appeared to question one of McIlroy's earlier drops. 

For his part McIlroy insisted his conscience was clean and claimed he would never play fast and loose with the rules.

Elsewhere, world number one Scottie Scheffler didn't have his best stuff but still managed to card an opening round of 5-under 67 to finish the day inside the top-10. 

Scheffler is attempting to become the first player ever to defend the Players Championship. 

What they said...

Rory McIlroy

Xander Schauffele

Scottie Scheffler

More GolfMagic articles from the 2024 Players:

• Wife of PGA Tour pro responds to epic tantrum at the Players Championship
• Tom Kim triples famed 17th at TPC Sawgrass then WDs from the Players
• Report: Jordan Spieth rages at on-course reporter during R1 of the Players
• Ryan Fox lights up the Players with ace (!) at famed 17th: "Do it, big man!"
• Justin Thomas daggers LIV Golf pro ahead of Players Championship
• Tommy Fleetwood cracks LIV Golf joke ahead of Players Championship bid