PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Rory McIlroy got to keep the coveted gold PLAYERS Championship trophy for two years thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic enforced cancellation at TPC Sawgrass a year ago, but the 2019 champion won’t be getting it back in 2021. The two-time FedExCup winner was a dejected figure as he signed for a 7-over 79 in the opening round – his career worst round at THE PLAYERS. Previously McIlroy’s hardest trip around TPC Sawgrass was a 77 in his first PLAYERS Championship in 2009 as a 20-year-old. To add insult to injury McIlroy was paired with fellow former champion Sergio Garcia as the Spaniard paced the morning wave with a 7-under 65 – besting his Ryder Cup teammate by 14 shots. Despite perfect conditions the damage was done on the opening nine holes as the group started on the 10th tee. McIlroy snapped his opening tee shot left into an unplayable lie, he ended up making double bogey, and things just got worse from there “(It’s) very hard, especially when you’re trying to figure it out as you go along on course,” McIlroy said when asked how hard it is to recover from a shocking start. “You’re trying to figure it out, but you still know you’re not really sure where the shots are coming from and then it’s hard to try to eliminate one side of the golf course, basically.” After the double McIlroy soon turned a birdie chance into a bogey when he three-putted the 13th green from 24-feet. Another killer blow came on the iconic par-4 18th. The Northern Irishman pulled his tee shot into the lake without covering much land prior and then, after a drop barely in front of the tee box, hit his third shot into the water as well. When all was said and done he was walking off with a quadruple bogey eight. “I just hit a drive that started 10 yards left of where I was aiming and went on the wind and did the same thing with the 4-iron,” McIlroy lamented afterwards. His 7-over 43 tied the highest start to a PGA TOUR event in his career, matching his efforts at the 2014 Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. Back-to-back birdies to open the front side of the course after the turn brought hope of a fightback but they were followed with back-to-back bogeys. A final hole three-putt bogey summed up a tough day. McIlroy wasn’t alone though as other former champions and big names seemingly kissed their chances goodbye right out of the gate.Henrik Stenson, the 2009 champion, shot 85 and 2015 conqueror Rickie Fowler had to settle for a 77 – three double bogeys negating any of the good work he managed. Pre-tournament high hope Tony Finau dropped four shots in his opening three holes and never recovered – his 78 a career worst round at TPC Sawgrass by three shots came after his last eight rounds on the course were par or better. Xander Schauffele, Tyrrell Hatton, 2012 champion Matt Kuchar and Hideki Matsuyama were part of a group to shoot 4-over 76s. Matsuyama shot a phantom 63 in the opening round of the 2020 PLAYERS before the cancellation but was nowhere near as sharp 12 months later.
Rory McIlroy’s title defense in tatters after early PLAYERS carnage
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3rd Round 2-Balls – T. Semikawa / A. Noren | |
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Alex Noren | -185 |
Taiga Semikawa | +155 |
3rd Round Match-Up – T. Semikawa v T. Merritt | |
Type: 3rd Round Match-Up – Status: OPEN | |
Taiga Semikawa | -110 |
Troy Merritt | -110 |
3rd Round 2-Balls – A. Rai / S.H. Kim | |
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Aaron Rai | -145 |
S H Kim | +120 |
3rd Round Match-Up – K. Mitchell vs A. Rai | |
Type: 3rd Round Match-Up – Status: OPEN | |
Aaron Rai | -115 |
Keith Mitchell | -105 |
3rd Round 2-Balls – K. Mitchell / B. Kohles | |
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Keith Mitchell | -190 |
Ben Kohles | +160 |
3rd Round Match-Up – B. Kohles vs M. Wallace | |
Type: 3rd Round Match-Up – Status: OPEN | |
Matt Wallace | -135 |
Ben Kohles | +115 |
3rd Round 2-Balls – D. Riley / T. Pendrith | |
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Taylor Pendrith | -155 |
Davis Riley | +125 |
Tie | |
3rd Round Match-Up – J. Knapp vs D. Riley | |
Type: 3rd Round Match-Up – Status: OPEN | |
Jake Knapp | -130 |
Davis Riley | +110 |
3rd Round 2-Balls – M. Wallace / K. Kraft | |
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Matt Wallace | -140 |
Kelly Kraft | +115 |
Tie | |
3rd Round 2-Balls – J. Knapp / T. Merritt | |
Type: 3rd Round 2-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Jake Knapp | -150 |
Troy Merritt | +125 |
Tie | |
Final Round 3-Balls – J. Niemann / T. Hatton / K. Vincent | |
Type: Final Round 3-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Joaquin Niemann | -110 |
Tyrrell Hatton | +135 |
Kieran Vincent | +500 |
Final Round 3-Balls – A. Ancer / L. Herbert / M. Wolff | |
Type: Final Round 3-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Abraham Ancer | +125 |
Lucas Herbert | +185 |
Matthew Wolff | +210 |
Final Round 3-Balls – L. Oosthuizen / K. Na / E. L-Chacarra | |
Type: Final Round 3-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Louis Oosthuizen | -105 |
Kevin Na | +210 |
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra | +300 |
Final Round 3-Balls – C. Smith / S. Munoz / M. Kaymer | |
Type: Final Round 3-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Cameron Smith | -125 |
Sebastian Munoz | +250 |
Martin Kaymer | +275 |
Final Round 3-Balls – B. Koepka / A. Meronk / T. Pieters | |
Type: Final Round 3-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Brooks Koepka | +100 |
Adrian Meronk | +185 |
Thomas Pieters | +275 |
Final Round 3-Balls – T. Gooch / M. Leishman / C. Tringale | |
Type: Final Round 3-Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Talor Gooch | +110 |
Marc Leishman | +200 |
Cameron Tringale | +250 |
Final Round 3 Ball – B. Stone / T. Vaillant / F. Celli | |
Type: Final Round 3 Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Brandon Stone | +150 |
Tom Vaillant | +160 |
Filippo Celli | +230 |
Final Round 3 Ball – J. Smith / Y. Paul / J. Zihao | |
Type: Outright – Status: OPEN | |
Jordan Smith | +100 |
Yannik Paul | +120 |
Jin Zihao | +600 |
Final Round 3 Balls – A. Rozner / J. Guerrier / G. Wiebe | |
Type: Final Round 3 Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Antoine Rozner | +100 |
Julien Guerrier | +145 |
Gunner Wiebe | +450 |
Final Round 3 Balls – J. Luiten / J. Svensson / F. Schott | |
Type: Final Round 3 Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Jesper Svensson | +135 |
Joost Luiten | +150 |
Freddy Schott | +275 |
Volvo China Open | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
Sebastian Soderberg | -250 |
Paul Waring | +500 |
Guido Migliozzi | +900 |
Adrian Otaegui | +1400 |
Joel Girrbach | +1800 |
Zander Lombard | +2500 |
Frederic Lacroix | +6000 |
Gordan Brixi | +6000 |
Lloyd Jefferson Go | +8000 |
Matthias Schwab | +9000 |
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Final Round 3 Balls – A. Del Rey / D. Hillier / J. Veerman | |
Type: Final Round 3 Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Alejandro Del Rey | +160 |
Johannes Veerma | +180 |
Daniel Hillier | +190 |
Final Round 3 Balls – G. Migliozzi / P. Waring / S. Soderberg | |
Type: Final Round 3 Balls – Status: OPEN | |
Sebastian Soderberg | +110 |
Guido Migliozzi | +225 |
Paul Waring | +225 |
Scottie Scheffler Specials | |
Type: Scottie Scheffler Specials – Status: OPEN | |
Win Any Remaining Signature Event | -200 |
PGA Championship (Top 10 Finish) & US Open (Top 10 Finish) | +115 |
PGA Championship (Top 10 Finish) & The Open (Top 10 Finish) | +125 |
US Open (Top 10 Finish) & The Open (Top 10 Finish) | +135 |
All Remaining Signature Events – Top 10 Finish | +200 |
PGA Championship (Top 5 Finish) & The Open (Top 5 Finish) | +200 |
US Open (Top 5 Finish) & The Open (Top 5 Finish) | +210 |
PGA Championship (Top 10 Finish) & US Open (Top 10 Finish) & The Open (Top 10 Finish) | +240 |
PGA Championship (Top 5 Finish) & US Open (Top 5 Finish) | +280 |
Win 2 Remaining Signature Events | +450 |
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PGA Championship 2024 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | +350 |
Jon Rahm | +1200 |
Rory McIlroy | +1200 |
Ludvig Aberg | +1600 |
Brooks Koepka | +2000 |
Xander Schauffele | +2000 |
Bryson DeChambeau | +2500 |
Collin Morikawa | +2500 |
Max Homa | +2500 |
Patrick Cantlay | +2500 |
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Requests | |
Type: Requests – Status: OPEN | |
Rory McIlroy – RBC Canadian Open Winner | +1000 |
Miles Russell – Win a Major before 30th birthday | +1400 |
Scottie Scheffler & Nelly Korda – Win All Remaining 2024 Majors | +50000 |
US Open 2024 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | +350 |
Jon Rahm | +1200 |
Rory McIlroy | +1200 |
Ludvig Aberg | +1600 |
Collin Morikawa | +2000 |
Viktor Hovland | +2000 |
Brooks Koepka | +2500 |
Cameron Smith | +2500 |
Patrick Cantlay | +2500 |
Xander Schauffele | +2500 |
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The Open Championship 2024 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | +500 |
Jon Rahm | +1000 |
Rory McIlroy | +1000 |
Viktor Hovland | +1100 |
Brooks Koepka | +2000 |
Cameron Smith | +2000 |
Cameron Young | +2000 |
Collin Morikawa | +2000 |
Ludvig Aberg | +2000 |
Jordan Spieth | +2500 |
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Requests | |
Type: Requests – Status: OPEN | |
The Open Championship – Alex Noren – Top 20 Finish | +200 |
Solheim Cup 2024 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
USA | -140 |
Europe | +135 |
Tie | +1200 |
Ryder Cup 2025 | |
Type: Winner – Status: OPEN | |
USA | -135 |
Europe | +135 |
Tie | +1000 |