McIlroy speaks out on awkward on-course confrontation with Spieth and Hovland

14 March 2024 , 20:31

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Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy debated the penalty drop (Image: PGA Tour LIVE)

Rory McIlroy has spoken out after he was confronted by Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland over a penalty drop during his opening round at the Players Championship.

McIlroy looked back to his best on Thursday, kicking off his week with a seven-under-par 65 to set the clubhouse lead alongside Xander Schauffele. His opening 18 holes were not without controversy though, after he found the water hazard down the left of the par-four seventh from the tee.

McIlroy dropped to play his third shot in the rough down the left of the hole, confident that his ball had first landed above the penalty line before falling into the water.

READ MORE: Golf news LIVE: Rory McIlroy leads Players Championship after heated rules dispute with Spieth

Playing partners Hovland and Spieth - the latter in particular - did not seem convinced though, insinuating that McIlroy had made an illegal drop with the ball bouncing below the boundary mark. After a lengthy conversation it wad finally agreed that the four-time major winner would be play from the rough and not return to the tee.

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He would go on to make a frustrating double bogey, but ensured he would close out his day with a share of the lead after finishing with a par and birdie at the eighth and ninth. Addressing the penalty drop debate in the aftermath, McIlroy said: "I think Jordan was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing.

"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."

As mentioned by McIlroy, it did appear that Spieth was trying to help rather than hinder his playing partner during the debate on the fairway.

The conversation, which lasted almost eight minutes, was picked up by the PGA Tour Live cameras, with Spieth heard telling McIlroy: "Everyone I'm hearing that had eyes on it, which again is not what matters, are saying they are 100 per cent certain it landed below the line, that is all I'm saying... The media people back on the tee are saying, so I thought, 'Hey, shall we check so that you don't take a wrong drop?'"

Spieth heads into Friday's second round with plenty of work to do, after a shooting a two-over 74 on Thursday, leaving him nine back of McIlroy and Schauffele.

Joshua Lees