Three share Players Championship lead

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Rory McIlroy matched a course document with 10 birdies to share the lead with Wyndham Clark and Xander Schauffele in Thursday’s darkness-halted opening spherical of The Gamers Championship.

Schauffele fired a bogey-free, seven-under-par 65 to face degree with McIlroy, who hit two balls within the water, and Clark, who birdied three of the final 4 holes at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Seashore, Florida.

“It’s all the time good to go bogey-free spherical at Sawgrass,” Schauffele stated after his lowest-ever spherical on the famed course. “Simply obtained a pair good breaks, made a few good putts and all in all a superb begin.”

The 30-year-old American, who hasn’t gained for the reason that 2022 Scottish Open, discovered 9 of 14 fairways in his first bogey-free spherical of 15 at The Gamers.

“The bogeys, or the scares of a bogey, come if you miss the fairways,” Schauffele stated. “The tough is fairly thick. Shockingly thick in some instances. You’ve simply obtained to maintain it on the brief grass.”

World No 2 McIlroy, the 2019 Gamers winner, stumbled to a 76 final Sunday at Bay Hill however bounced again nicely.

“Total I’m actually blissful,” McIlroy stated. “A lot improved from Sunday at Bay Hill. Put a variety of work in over the previous three days. Really feel like I noticed a variety of progress on the market.

“Iron play was a lot improved and that’s one thing I’ve labored loads on. I hit balls for 5 hours on Monday to try to determine all of it out and I really feel like I obtained someplace … Simply actually blissful to see some iron pictures go shut once more.”

Fifth-ranked Clark, who gained final month at Pebble Seashore, birdied 4 of the primary seven holes regardless of his lone bogey on the 4th then closed robust to share the lead with birdie putts of 20 toes at 15, three toes on the par-five sixteenth and 14 toes on the famed par-three seventeenth island gap.

“It wasn’t the most effective irons I’ve ever hit however I had a variety of management over the ball. I used to be placing the ball within the spots you wanted to be and I simply plodded my manner across the course,” Clark stated. “Total actually stable day and one thing to construct on.”

There have been 9 golfers nonetheless on the course when play was suspended for darkness, none with greater than three holes to complete. American Jimmy Stanger was finest at 5 beneath and placing for par on his penultimate gap.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox had the primary back-to-back eagles in Gamers historical past – an eagle at 16 and an ace at 17 on the best way to a 69.

“It was a pleasant hole wedge,” Fox stated of his ace. “I used to be fairly satisfied to lookup and see it happening the flag. A bit little bit of luck for it to return down the slope and return in, however I’m definitely not complaining. It’s such an iconic gap.”

England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, and Canadian Nick Taylor shared third on 66 with top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler one other shot adrift.

South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout started with a bogey-free spherical of 69 that included three birdies, with countryman Erik van Rooyen carding 71.

McIlroy, who additionally started on the tenth, birdied his first three holes – the tenth on a putt from simply inside six toes, the par-five eleventh on a tap-in after reaching the inexperienced in two and the twelfth after touchdown his strategy inside 5 toes of the outlet.

“That second shot on 10 and hitting it in shut proved I might do what I used to be doing in apply beneath the warmth of competitors,” McIlroy stated. “It was a pleasant option to begin.”

After back-to-back birdies he discovered water off the 18th tee and made bogey. After birdies at 4 and 6 he splashed down once more off the seventh tee on the best way to double-bogey earlier than a closing 17-foot birdie putt.