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Watch: Rory McIlroy in rules row with Jordan Spieth at Players Championship
McIlroy twice found the water in his opening round, only for his playing partner to disagree with where he took both penalty drops
Rory McIlroy insists he has “a clear conscience” after two rules controversies resulted in the world No 2 having an animated debate with Jordan Spieth during the first round of The Players Championship at Sawgrass.
The PGA Tour were desperate for events inside the ropes at its £20 million flagship event to overshadow the ongoing LIV Golf split, but they could not have imagined that a pair of penalty drops and the ensuing to-and-fro between two of their biggest superstars would light up social media on the opening day.
“I feel like I’m one of the most conscientious golfers out here,” McIlroy said. “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, it’s going to come around and bite you.
“I obviously don’t try to do anything wrong out there, and play by the rules and do the right thing. I feel like I did that those two drops.”
McIlroy shot a seven-under 65 featuring 10 birdies to share the early lead with Xander Schauffele, but all anyone was talking about at the Stadium Course was the remarkable scenes that finished with Spieth – normally so co-operative with the press – breaking into a near sprint to avoid the media’s questioning after the duo had signed their scorecards.
The back-and-forth between the pair began on the 18th (their ninth) when McIlroy pulled his drive into the water. Spieth questioned where McIlroy was taking his penalty drop, presumably in the suspicion that the ball had crossed the lake nearer to the tee and would require the Northern Irishman to have a much longer approach.
But this conflab, which lasted at least five minutes, was mild compared to what transpired eight holes later.
On the seventh, McIlroy once again pulled his drive and watched in disappointment as the ball finished in another pond. But he was convinced that it bounced on the bank above the red line that signifies where the lateral water hazard begins. That allowed him to take a penalty drop two club lengths from where the ball had entered.
McIlroy checked with his two playing partners – Ryder Cup team-mate Viktor Hovland was the other member of the marquee threeball – but after speaking to fans on the other side of the fairway, Spieth disputed the world No 2’s opinion.
“Everyone I’m hearing that had eyes on it – which is not what matters – is saying they are 100 per cent certain it landed below the red line,” Spieth said. “It’s what you guys think.”
The difference between drops would have been roughly 250 yards – not far from the teebox – and with plenty resting on the decision, the mood was becoming agitated. At this point McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond, raised the tensions still further. “Who is ‘everybody’, Jordan?” Diamond shouted. “Who are you talking about?”
A referee was called, but without any definitive TV footage, it was left to the players to decide. Wayne “Radar” Riley, the Sky Sports TV analyst, was with the group and believes that McIlroy’s drop was spot on. At one stage during the to-and-fro with Spieth, McIlroy asked if he should “split the difference”, which presumably meant him dropping it further back – but that is not really the point.
Another media observer, who spoke to Telegraph Sport but did not wish to be named, was “95 per cent in the belief that it bounced below the line”.
McIlroy, 34, said he questioned himself.
“I guess I started to doubt myself a little bit,” McIlroy said. “I was like, ‘OK did I actually see what I thought I saw’... I was comfortable, and I was just making sure that Jordan and Viktor were comfortable, too. It was just a matter of whether it was above the line or below, and I thought I saw it pitch above the line.”
McIlroy was asked if he believed the near six-minute exchange was “needless”. “I wouldn’t say it was needless,” he replied. “Jordan was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing. It’s so hard, right, because there was no TV evidence. I was adamant. 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.”
McIlroy and Spieth have been friends for a long time, but recently they have been in opposite camps in the LIV issue and the potential of a peace deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi funders of the breakaway league.
Last month, McIlroy revealed that he had “a frank discussion” with Spieth after the American declared that the Tour no longer needed to strike a deal with the Public Investment Fund. That incensed McIlroy.
“Having PIF as your partner as opposed to not having them as your partner, I don’t think is an option for the game of golf,” McIlroy said. “I talked to him [Spieth] about his comments, and we had a pretty frank discussion.”