Players Championship: ‘Adamant’ Rory McIlroy says his conscience is clear after lengthy rules dispute with Jordan Spieth

World No.2 Rory McIlroy insisted he will play the rest of The Players Championship with a clear conscience after navigating a pair of rules disputes to make a fast start in Florida.

World No.2 Rory McIlroy insisted he will play the rest of The Players Championship with a clear conscience after navigating a pair of rules disputes to make a fast start in Florida. The Northern Irishman raced out of the blocks with an impressive first round seven-under 65, and could have gone even lower had it not been for two costly shots he sent into the waters of the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course. Both errors sparked lengthy discussions with the other two golfers in his star-studded playing group, world No. 4 Viktor Hovland and three-time major champion Jordan Spieth. The first began when McIlroy’s blistering start – six birdies across his first eight holes – came to a screeching halt at the 18th tee (the group had started from the 10th hole). After the drive hooked left into the water alongside the fairway, the playing trio stood at the tee box discussing where McIlroy should drop the ball for his next shot. The crux of the debate centered around where exactly the ball had crossed the red-painted hazard line. McIlroy eventually took his shot from next to the water at the start of the fairway, booming his approach some 230 yards before putting for bogey.