If you watched how Rory McIlroy birdied the 18th hole on Thursday at The Players, you will likely remember his closing three for quite some time. After missing the short grass again off the tee, McIlroy’s ball settled down in the pine straw to the right of the fairway.

McIlroy had seven birdies in Thursday's opening round even though he hit only four of 14 fairways on the Stadium Course.

There is a phrase used in the PGA Tour’s Shotlink system that we’ve rarely noticed: “tree outline.” Maybe it’s more prominent in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass because there are several nurseries worth of trees here,

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Villegas, J.J. Spaun and Lucas Glover all shot 6-under 66 to share the Day 1 lead at The Players Championship.

Rory McIlroy has no interest in playing on the Champions tour down the road: "Something has went terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50."