The Players: Rory McIlroy makes sluggish start to title defence as Ryder Cup teammate Sepp Straka shares early lead at TPC Sawgrass

Sepp Straka and Sahith Theegala are part of a five-way tie for the early lead at The Players, as Rory McIlroy made a sluggish start to his title defence at TPC Sawgrass.

Maverick McNealy set the initial clubhouse target after an opening-round 67 at the PGA Tour's flagship event, where play was halted for 20 minutes mid-round due to dangerous weather.

Straka posted five birdies in his bogey-free start and Lee Hodges made four birdies in a six-hole stretch to also get to five under, with Theegala making it a four-way tie for the clubhouse lead having made a three-birdie start to his round.

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Austin Smotherman also reached five under with one hole remaining when play was suspended at 7.37pm local time (11.37pm UK) due to darkness, with the American facing a 15-foot birdie putt for the outright lead when he returns on Friday morning.

Former Players champion Justin Thomas birdied three of his last five holes to get within one of the lead, with Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg and Xander Schauffele all in the logjam two off the pace.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler carded a level-par 72 as he looks to win the event for a third time in four years, as McIlroy - who only arrived on Wednesday afternoon due to a back issue and entered without a practice round - registered just one birdie in a two-over 74.

"I don't feel like I'm that far away," McIlroy said. "No one went really low this afternoon, which I expected them to, just because the conditions were pretty benign. If I can go out and shoot a good one tomorrow, I feel like I'll be right in it for the weekend."

McIlroy struggles after making late decision to play

The defending champion said he was going to make a 'game-time decision' on whether to tee it up, having received daily treatment in the days leading up to the event and not hitting any club longer than a six-iron from his early exit at Bay Hill over the weekend until his warm-up on Thursday.

McIlroy opened with three-straight pars before following back-to-back bogeys from the fourth with with a stunning approach from a fairway bunker into the par-four sixth, setting up a close-range birdie on his way to a front-nine 37.

He bogeyed the par-five 11th after finding trees off the tee and then pitching out into thick rough, with McIlroy overcoming waywardness off the tee at the 12th to save par and avoid falling further behind.

McIlroy produced an impressive up and down at the par-four 15th to prevent another bogey, having found a tough lie in the fairway bunker, then pulled his approach to the 16th, made a two-putt par at the 17th and scrambled a par up the last.

"I would say the most discomfort was when the ball was below my feet or with chipping, getting down a little bit to it," McIlroy said. "Honestly, overall it was fine. Got a little bit tired at the end of the day, but yeah, it was actually all pretty good."

Bunched leaderboard after opening day

McNealy mixed six birdies with a lone bogey and was the pick of the morning starters, where scoring was a shot worse than the afternoon wave, while Straka grabbed his share of the lead after chipping in from off the par-five 16th green.

Straka got up and down from the fairway to save par at the last and remain at five under, as Hodges birdied the same hole to share top spot, while Theegala's round was boosted with a hole-out eagle at the par-four 12th.

Smotherman was one of four players who will return at 8.50am local time (12.50pm UK) to complete their opening round, having initially considered stopping earlier, prior to his third shot into the final hole.

"Do I wish I hit the chip in the morning as well? Went back and forth," Smotherman said. "The fact I was even questioning it, I probably should have maybe backed off. I just hit it a little heavy and luckily it tumbled."

Thomas is joined on four under by compatriots Cam Young, Russell Henley and Taylor Moore, while Tony Finau is within two of the lead despite carding five bogeys in his opening-round 69.

A congested leaderboard sees 29 players within four strokes of the lead, with Scheffler - switching back to his old driver after trialling a different model last week - needing a final-hole birdie to avoid an over-par start.

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(c) Sky Sports 2026: The Players: Rory McIlroy makes sluggish start to title defence as Ryder Cup teammate Sepp Straka shares early lead at TPC Sawgrass