RORY MCILROY was involved in a couple of furious rules bust-ups with arch-enemy Jordan Spieth in a drama-packed start to the Players Championship.
McIlroy, 34, signed for a seven under par 65, and insisted his conscience was clear after playing partner Spieth queried both drops he took when he found water at the seventh and 18th holes.
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There is bad blood between the Ryder Cup rivals after Spieth knocked back McIlroy’s suggestion that the LIV rebels should be welcomed back on to the PGA Tour once a peace deal is agreed.
The dispute at the seventh – McIlroy’s 16th, after he started at the tenth – took more than eight minutes to resolve.
Spieth claimed that nearby spectators were certain McIlroy’s ball had not crossed the thin red line marking the outer limit of the water hazard on the left of the hole.
If that had been the case the Northern Irishman would have had to return to the tee, instead of taking a drop halfway down the fairway.
Spieth told McIlroy: “Everyone I’m hearing that had eyes on it is saying they are 100 per cent certain it landed below the red line. It’s what you guys think.”
McIlroy’s exasperated caddie, Harry Diamond, pointed to the fact there were no spectators close to the scene and demanded: “Who is everybody, Jordan? Who are you talking about?”
Spieth shrugged and waited for a rules official to settle the issue – and later sprinted past reporters after he had been asked to give his verdict on the incident.
McIlroy was clearly unhappy that his best start in a 14-year career at Sawgrass had been overshadowed.
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He said: “I feel like I’m one of the most conscientious golfers out here. So if I feel like I’ve done something wrong, it’ll play on my conscience for the rest of the tournament.
“I’m a big believer in karma, and if you do something wrong, I feel like it’s going to come around and bite you at some point.
“I obviously don’t try to do anything wrong out there. I play by the rules and do the right thing. I feel like I obviously did that with those two drops.
“On seven, it was just a matter of whether it was above the line or below, and I thought I saw it pitch above the line. It is a bit of a blind spot and there was no conclusive TV evidence.
“I guess I started to doubt myself a little bit, and I shouldn’t have. I was like, ‘Okay, did I actually see what I thought I saw?’
“But if anything I was too conservative about it. I was adamant it had crossed the line, and I was just making sure that Jordan and Viktor were comfortable, too.
“At the end of the day we’re all trying to protect ourselves, protect the field, as well. I think Jordan was just trying to make sure that what happened was the right thing.”
McIlroy still slipped to a double bogey six at that hole – although he escaped with a bogey when he ‘went swimming’ on 18.
But TEN birdies – including one on his final hole of the opening round – meant he could afford those lapses and still find himself in a great position.
McIlroy’s seven-under score saw him take the clubhouse lead alongside Xander Schauffele.
The four-time major winner added: “I am excited. I didn’t know what to expect going out today, I knew it was much better in practice but you never know until you get out on to the golf course.
“I am very pleased but it’s just one day.”
Elsewhere at The Players, Adam Hadwin had fans in stitches when he spectacularly launched his club into the water after a poor shot on the 18th.
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