2008 champion Sergio Garcia holds a two-shot lead over Brian Harman after the opening day at The Gamers; Defending champion Rory McIlroy 14 strokes again after struggling to a seven-over 79 – watch dwell on Friday from 11.30am on Sky Sports activities The Gamers
By Ali Stafford
Final Up to date: 12/03/21 12:36am
2:23
A glance again at the very best of the motion from the opening spherical of The Gamers at TPC Sawgrass, the place Sergio Garcia made a powerful begin.
Sergio Garcia produced a glowing end to open a two-shot lead after the opening spherical of The Gamers, as Rory McIlroy’s title defence received off to a horrible begin.
Garcia adopted back-to-back birdies with a final-hole eagle to shut out a seven-under 65 and set a clubhouse goal that could not be matched at TPC Sawgrass, with late starter Brian Harman his closest challenger after an opening-round 67.
Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry sit three off the tempo alongside Corey Conners, whereas Bryson DeChambeau and Lee Westwood – the highest two finally week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational – each opened with a three-under 69.
Lee Westwood combined 5 birdies with two bogeys throughout his opening spherical in Florida
World No 1 Dustin Johnson started his week with a one-over 73, as McIlroy slipped 14 strokes again after equalling the worst begin by a defending champion at The Gamers with an opening-round 79.
Enjoying alongside McIlroy and 2018 champion Webb Simpson, Garcia opened with 5 straight pars earlier than following a 20-foot birdie on the fifteenth by eagling the par-five subsequent to achieve the flip in 33.
2:04 A glance again at the very best of the motion from Sergio Garcia’s opening-round 65 at The Gamers, seeing the Spaniard set the clubhouse goal
Garcia bounced again from a three-putt bogey on the first by making a two-putt acquire on the par-five second, with the Spaniard then signing off his spherical in model by following birdies on the seventh and eighth with a 20-foot eagle on the par-five ninth.
Harman was over par after eight holes however posted six birdies in eight holes to maneuver inside two of the lead, whereas Lowry additionally received to 5 beneath till he undid a birdie-two on the iconic seventeenth by bogeying his last gap.
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Fitzpatrick was 5 beneath par after 10 holes however made a three-putt par on the par-five subsequent and bogeyed the twelfth, earlier than cancelling out a chip-in birdie on the 14th with one other three-putt on the seventeenth.
McIlroy opened with a double-bogey six on the par-four tenth after hooking his drive into the timber and having to take a drop, with a three-putt bogey on the thirteenth then adopted by an unpleasant quadruple-bogey on the 18th after sending two balls into the water.
2:23 Rory McIlroy racked up a quadruple-bogey at TPC Sawgrass’ par-four 18th after placing two balls within the water after which three-putting
The four-time main champion reached the flip in 43, the joint-highest of his PGA Tour profession, with McIlroy undoing back-to-back birdies from the primary with successive bogeys over his subsequent two holes.
McIlroy briefly stopped the rot with a 12-foot birdie on the fifth, solely to three-putt from 25 ft and bogey the ninth – his last gap – to equal the opening-round rating posted by Sandy Lyle in his title defence in 1988.
Byeong Hun An put 4 balls within the water on the seventeenth on his approach to an octuple-bogey 11, the second-highest ever recorded on the outlet, whereas Henrik Stenson props up the leaderboard after struggling to an opening-round 85.
Play was suspended on account of darkness at 6.32pm native time (11.32pm GMT), with these unable to complete their rounds set to return on Friday at 7.30am. The second spherical will start as scheduled at 6.45am (11.45am GMT) on Friday.
Watch the Gamers Championship all through the week dwell on Sky Sports activities’ devoted channel – Sky Sports activities The Gamers. Reside protection continues on Friday from 11.30am on Sky Sports activities Golf.