‘Drop controversy’ McIlroy... Dispute with Spieth over position

The Players Championship 1R Hole 7 Incident
Companion Spieth Objects Over Water Hazard Spot
Ends with Double Bogey, Still Tied for Lead

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) became embroiled in a controversy over the 'drop location.'

Rory McIlroy is teeing off at the 7th hole during the first round of The Players Championship. [Ponte Vedra Beach, USA=AP·Yonhap News]

On the 14th (local time), during the first round of the PGA Tour The Players Championship (total prize money $25 million) held at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, the incident occurred on the 7th hole (par 4). He hit his tee shot into the water. The issue was the 'location' where he had to take a one-stroke penalty and drop the ball. McIlroy insisted that his ball had gone beyond the red line and said he would take a one-stroke penalty and drop near that spot before continuing play.

However, his playing partners Jordan Spieth (USA) and Viktor Hovland (Norway) disagreed. Spieth said, "Everyone says the ball didn’t reach the line and went into the water," to which McIlroy retorted, "Who is this 'everyone'?" leading to an argument. At the time, it was unclear where the ball had bounced, and it was not captured on the TV broadcast. The players even called the rules official, but no witnesses appeared, providing no help.

McIlroy stood firm, saying, "I am confident my ball crossed the red line." He did not return to the tee box but took his third shot near the water hazard and eventually finished the 7th hole with a double bogey. The disagreement over the drop location caused the players to take 30 minutes to complete the 7th hole. He fired a strong 7-under-par 65 in the first round, tying for the lead.

After the round, McIlroy explained in an interview with the PGA Tour, "I argued with my playing partner Spieth. He was just trying to make sure I was doing things correctly." He added, "It would have been better if I had not dropped the ball in the water twice and shot 62, but I played according to the rules today."