McIlroy, Schauffele share early lead at Players Championship

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy matched a course record with 10 birdies to share the early lead with reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele in Thursday’s opening round of The Players Championship.

Schauffele fired a bogey-free, seven-under-par 65 and was level with McIlroy atop the US PGA Tour leaderboard after 18 holes at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

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“It’s always nice to go bogey-free round at Sawgrass,” Schauffele said after his lowest-ever round at the famed course. “Just got a couple good breaks, made a couple of nice putts and all in all a good start.”