Rory McIlroy Struggles With His Driver and TPC Sawgrass's Rough in Disappointing Start

The world No. 3, a fan of the no-cut format coming to more Tour events next year, will now have to fight to make the cut at the Players.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Rory McIlroy made news earlier this week when he gave LIV Golf credit for the changes the PGA Tour has implemented with designated events in 2023 and those that are coming down the pike in 2024.

After the first round of the Players Championship, the McIlroy news of the day was about his inability to find the fairway and his 4-over 76.

Between rough that's thicker than most players can remember around TPC Sawgrass and hitting only six of 14 fairways, McIlroy put himself squarely behind the 8 ball.

“When I turned, I thought, O.K., if I could sort of get myself back even par for the day, it'd be alright,” McIlroy said after only his fourth round of 76 or higher since his Players debut in 2009. “I just couldn't really get anything going and hit it in the middle of the fairway on nine there and looking to make birdie and walk off the with bogey is obviously very disappointing.”

McIlroy had a driver he loved and used for most of 2022, but over time the head’s face became too bouncy and eventually illegal because of the trampoline effect, so at Riviera this year, the Ulsterman put a new driver in the bag.

Each model he has tried has been a little different or "finicky" as McIlroy said in describing the variance in driver heads, which has made the transition difficult and caused some consternation as he likes to play left to right, taking the left side out of play.

“This one's is as close as it's been,” McIlroy said. “There’s obviously a part of it that's the user as well, right? It's quite a lot of user error as well.”

The driver wasn't the problem in starting the day with a double-bogey six on the par-4 10th hole, McIlroy chipped across the green into a bunker and two-putted from 13 feet.

His tussle at TPC Sawgrass would continue after the opening hole, as McIlroy made only two birdies and added four bogeys to the double.

McIlroy has struggled with the rough and unlike last week at Bay Hill, where the rough was thick and sticky, this week's grass at TPC Sawgrass is also thick, but the ball has a little more momentum when it comes out and the difference has given McIlroy difficulties.

McIlroy has missed five cuts at the Players in 12 appearances and four of the five cuts have come when his opening round was over-par.

The 2019 winner is now just hoping to see the weekend after his Thursday problems.

“Just need to regroup and go out and try and shoot a good one tomorrow and be here for the weekend," he said.