RORY MCILROY AND Séamus Power sit seven shots behind the overnight leaders at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, while Shane Lowry is nine back after a galling quadruple-bogey finish to his opening round in Florida.
Defending champion McIlroy, battling a back injury, and Power, a late addition to the tournament, each carded opening-round 74s to finish Thursday on two over par, well adrift of Americans Maverick McNeeley, Lee Hodges, Sahith Theegala, Austin Smotherman and Austria’s Sepp Straka who share the lead on five under.
(Smotherman has one hole to play after darkness halted the opening-round action.)
Lowry, meanwhile, fired an eight — a quadruple bogey — on the par-4 18th, signing for a four-over-par 76 which leaves him in danger of missing Friday’s cut in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Lowry had been one under for his round at the turn after birdieing the par-4 fourth, and was two under after another birdie on the par-5 11th.
However, a bogey on the par-4 14th and a double-bogey on 15, another par-4, saw him slip back to one over with three holes remaining.
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Lowry initially recovered well, sinking an 11-foot putt to birdie the par-3 17th and lead the Irish challenge on even par.
But in scenes reminiscent of his collapse at the Cognizant Classic less than a fortnight ago, he found water off the tee on 18, and then did so once more with his 187-yard approach to the green.
Lowry then pitched it to within 15 feet and two-putted for an eight which ruined an otherwise solid round.
McIlroy, who injured his back warming up for the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational last Saturday and consequently withdrew from that competition, was clearly not swinging at 100% but played relatively steadily: he made the turn at one over having bogeyed the fourth and fifth before birdieing the sixth, and he was guilty of only one blip — a bogey on 11 — across his back nine.
“Just felt unbelievably rusty out there. I’m glad I got through the round,” McIlroy said.
“I would say the most discomfort was when the ball was below my feet or with chipping. Just like getting down a little bit to it.”
Power, on the other hand, had a wilder round consisting of four birdies, four bogeys and a potentially costly double-bogey at the last.
The Waterford man was drafted into the field as second reserve after the number of competitors was increased from 120 to 123, this due to Brooks Koepka’s inclusion under the PGA Tour’s Returning Player Program (Power and Patton Kizzire were added to ensure 41 threesomes on the tee sheet).
Power was one-under through 12 but bogeyed the seventh, Power’s 16th, and then suffered a double-bogey seven on the par-5 ninth, his last, to slip back into precarious territory ahead of Friday’s cut.
World number one Scottie Scheffler could only manage an even-par opening round, with his choice of driver again under scrutiny following his 72.
Smotherman, five-under through 17 holes, had a birdie putt from just inside 15 feet at the par-five ninth to seize the lead when darkness prompted the American to wait until Friday morning to finish his first round.
“Just getting so dark,” Smotherman said. “It’s not worth it right now, to get fresh greens in the morning.”
A 21-minute afternoon rain delay made the green speeds tricky to read for later players.
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Irish trio face uphill battles as quadruple bogey on 18 tanks Lowry's opening round
LAST UPDATE | 13 Mar
RORY MCILROY AND Séamus Power sit seven shots behind the overnight leaders at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, while Shane Lowry is nine back after a galling quadruple-bogey finish to his opening round in Florida.
Defending champion McIlroy, battling a back injury, and Power, a late addition to the tournament, each carded opening-round 74s to finish Thursday on two over par, well adrift of Americans Maverick McNeeley, Lee Hodges, Sahith Theegala, Austin Smotherman and Austria’s Sepp Straka who share the lead on five under.
(Smotherman has one hole to play after darkness halted the opening-round action.)
Lowry, meanwhile, fired an eight — a quadruple bogey — on the par-4 18th, signing for a four-over-par 76 which leaves him in danger of missing Friday’s cut in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Lowry had been one under for his round at the turn after birdieing the par-4 fourth, and was two under after another birdie on the par-5 11th.
However, a bogey on the par-4 14th and a double-bogey on 15, another par-4, saw him slip back to one over with three holes remaining.
Lowry initially recovered well, sinking an 11-foot putt to birdie the par-3 17th and lead the Irish challenge on even par.
But in scenes reminiscent of his collapse at the Cognizant Classic less than a fortnight ago, he found water off the tee on 18, and then did so once more with his 187-yard approach to the green.
Lowry then pitched it to within 15 feet and two-putted for an eight which ruined an otherwise solid round.
McIlroy, who injured his back warming up for the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational last Saturday and consequently withdrew from that competition, was clearly not swinging at 100% but played relatively steadily: he made the turn at one over having bogeyed the fourth and fifth before birdieing the sixth, and he was guilty of only one blip — a bogey on 11 — across his back nine.
“Just felt unbelievably rusty out there. I’m glad I got through the round,” McIlroy said.
“I would say the most discomfort was when the ball was below my feet or with chipping. Just like getting down a little bit to it.”
Power, on the other hand, had a wilder round consisting of four birdies, four bogeys and a potentially costly double-bogey at the last.
The Waterford man was drafted into the field as second reserve after the number of competitors was increased from 120 to 123, this due to Brooks Koepka’s inclusion under the PGA Tour’s Returning Player Program (Power and Patton Kizzire were added to ensure 41 threesomes on the tee sheet).
Power was one-under through 12 but bogeyed the seventh, Power’s 16th, and then suffered a double-bogey seven on the par-5 ninth, his last, to slip back into precarious territory ahead of Friday’s cut.
World number one Scottie Scheffler could only manage an even-par opening round, with his choice of driver again under scrutiny following his 72.
Smotherman, five-under through 17 holes, had a birdie putt from just inside 15 feet at the par-five ninth to seize the lead when darkness prompted the American to wait until Friday morning to finish his first round.
“Just getting so dark,” Smotherman said. “It’s not worth it right now, to get fresh greens in the morning.”
A 21-minute afternoon rain delay made the green speeds tricky to read for later players.
- With reporting from – © AFP 2026
Originally published Thursday 11.44pm, updated at 8.15am Friday.
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Golf Struggle The Players Championship