Rory McIlroy insisted he will play the remainder of the Players Championship with a clear conscience after a rules controversy also involving Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland threatened to derail his opening round at Sawgrass. McIlroy recovered from the affair at the 7th hole, his 16th, to post 65.
McIlroy’s tee shot at the par four bounced off a bank and into a lake. Key to what happened next was whether the ball had pitched above or below the red hazard line. McIlroy insisted he was “comfortable” that it landed above the line, allowing him to play his third shot from within range of the green.
