Rory McIlroy clashes (!) with Jordan Spieth over drop at the Players

Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth were involved in a heated debate during the first round of the Players. 

The focus of the conversation was over where McIlroy's ball landed on the par-4 seventh hole at TPC Sawgrass.

There was confusion as to whether the Ulsterman's TP5x landed above or below the red line next to the fairway bunker before bouncing into the water.

It was the second time in his opening 18 holes that McIlroy found a watery grave with his tee shot and wasn't sure where to drop. 

McIlroy was adamant his golf ball landed above the red line before finding the water. Spieth wasn't so sure. 

"I'm pretty comfortable I saw it above the red line," McIlroy told Viktor Hovland, who was standing in the middle of the fairway. 

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Hovland said he thought it was close but he couldn't say for sure. Then Spieth joined the conversation and the debate turned up a notch. 

The whole exchange lasted around 12 minutes and it took the group 25 minutes to play the hole. Although they were waiting on the group in front. 

Spieth believed 'everybody' caught the ball landing below the line and therefore McIlroy wasn't entitled to drop where he was standing. 

Said McIlroy: "Who is everybody? Who are you talking about, Jordan?"

Spieth said the TV crew saw McIlroy's ball land below the line, although he conceded there was no actual footage.

He reminded McIlroy it's ultimately up to him to determine where to drop. 

What a sport pic.twitter.com/iFkuzDkHrV

— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) March 14, 2024

A rules official was called and McIlroy explained: "I think that my ball bounced above the red line but it's not definitive. 

"I'm very comfortable that it did but we're trying to check with TV and they can't say."

Spieth then chimed in: "I think we can all agree that it crossed some land, it's just a matter of where the drop is. Because it was so close."

McIlroy told Spieth that he was dropping his golf ball 'back' of where it kicked into the water. "I'm sort of trying to split the difference," he said. 

Watch the whole exchange here:

McIlroy went on to make a double bogey six on the hole after taking a drop. 

The four-time major champion then made a closing birdie at the ninth hole return a scorecard of 7-under 65. He started on the back nine. 

At the time, he was sharing the lead with Xander Schauffele.

McIlroy addressed the media after his first round whereby he claimed he was comfortable with how he handled the situation. 

"I think Jordan was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing," he replied when asked if the debate was necessary. 

"I mean, I was pretty sure that my ball had crossed where I was sort of dropping it. It's so hard, right, because there was no TV evidence.

"I was adamant. But I think, again, he was just trying to make sure that I was going to do the right thing.

"If anything, I was being conservative with it. I think at the end of the day we're all trying to protect ourselves, protect the field, as well.

"I wouldn't say it was needless. I think he was just trying to make sure that what happened was the right thing."

Both Hovland and Spieth declined to speak to reporters after the first round. 

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