RORY GETS DROP ON HIS RIVALS

Mcllroy leads despite penalty delay

-  PHIL CASEY

RORY MCILROY insisted his conscience was clear after shrugging off a lengthy debate over a penalty drop on day one of the Players Championship.

Having started from the 10th at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy looked set to have an outright clubhouse lead when he covered his first 15 holes in eight under par, only to pull his tee shot on the seventh into the water.

It was not clear where the ball had bounced before entering the hazard and that led to a near 10-minute discussion with playing partners Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth, who appeared to question the location of McIlroy's drop.