After stunning 26 birdies in the 2024 Players Championship, Rory McIlroy should have earned a top spot on the leaderboard. The iron and short game of the Northern Irishman was solid and his putting gained him several of these birdies. But it looks like, with all the range work going in to the irons, he kind of forgot about his driver. Over the course of the four round McIlroy sank five golf balls in to the water at TPC Sawgrass, more than any other player.
Rory McIlroy sinks Players win
The first few holes of McIlroy’s Players Championship lookes promising, with the Northern Irishman securing six birdies within eight holes. Than a hooked drive followed on the 18th tee. It was the first time he had to take a penalty shot and drop a golf ball, but it was certainly not the last. He bogeyd 18 and went on noting three more birdies an his Back Nine. Than the 7th tee came and with it, another golf ball was gone into the water. Again it was a poor drive flying short left.
And his misfortune continued. On day two he found the water an the 12th, with – who could have guessed – his driver. The only day without a ball lost to the blue in TPC Sawgrass was round 3, alltough even on this day McIlroy had to lock in a double bogey on 14 after a drive going far right into a waste area.
In the final round McIlroy explored a new water area on hole four. This time it wasn’t the fault of his driver. Instead he sank the ball with a wedge and harsh wind conditions. Later on however he revisited the 18th hole left side penalty area and sank another drive at about the same place he did in round one.
So 26 birdies, 11 bogeys and 3 double bogeys later McIlroy finished with -9 on T17. And the author would venture a relatively safe prediction that he will be spending a few extra hours on the range with the driver over the coming week.