Rory McIlroy’s ‘wake-up call’ pays immediate dividends | Live From The Players | Golf Channel

Rory McIlroy put in the extra work earlier this week and it paid immediate dividends at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass as he finished Round 1 atop the leaderboard. #GolfChannel #LiveFromThePlayers #RoryMcIlroy
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Rory McIlroy’s ‘wake-up call’ pays immediate dividends | Live From The Players | Golf Channel
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FOR SIXTH OR BETTER. THIS WAS ONE HECK OF A DAY FOR THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. >> RORY SAID THE 76 AT BAY HILL WAS A WAKE-UP CALL. HE SPENT A GOOD PORTION OF MONDAY, NORMALLY A DAY OFF, WORKING ON HIS SWING, AND IT PAID DIVIDENDS.

WE SAW EVIDENCE THE VERY FIRST HOLE OUT OF THE DAY WITH A SHOT, BRANDEL THAT HAD BEEN GIVING HIM TROUBLE. >> YOU ASKED ME LAST NIGHT, HOW DO YOU LIKE RORY? I SAID, ASK ME AGAIN AFTER THE FIRST THREE HOLES. I THINK WE GOT UP, WERE HAVING A

CUP OF COFFEE, AND AFTER THIS SHOT, I THOUGHT, HMM, GAME ON. WE DIDN’T SEE HIM HIT TOO MANY LIKE THAT LAST SUNDAY. >> THE HOLE LOCATION WAS TUCKED LEFT. HE HAD BEEN MISSING IT LEFT. HERE HE IS AT 12. HE LOVES THIS SHOT. JUST A LITTLE SAWED OFF SHORT

SHOT. >> YEAH, I MEAN, WE KNOW WHEN HE GETS A WIND IN HIS SAILS HOW GOOD HE CAN BE. COMING OUT OF THE BLOCKS BIRDIE, BIRDIE, BIRDIE. HE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD DAY. >> AFTER THAT, NOT MANY HOLES CAN YOU HIT DRIVER.

325, BEAUTIFUL APPROACH SHOT TO 15 FEET. NICE BIRDIE AT THE 14th. AND HERE AT THE 17th HOLE — >> THE 17th, AGAIN, TAKING THE WATER OUT OF PLAY. THE PERFECT YARDAGE INTO THAT BACK, GIVE HIMSELF WIGGLE ROOM, GET SPIN. BEAUTIFULLY UNDERNEATH THE HOLE.

THAT WAS TO SET UP ANOTHER BIRDIE. >> 6 UNDER THROUGH EIGHT HOLES AND NOW AT 18. >> EARLY CALL — IN 2024, A WEIRD YEAR FOR RORY. >> SO MANY GOLF BALLS IN THE WATER. HIT TWO OR THREE IN THE WATER AT DUBAI, 11 BALLS IN THE WATER

RIGHT BEFORE. TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE THIS CROSSED WAS A COMMON THEME. IT WASN’T JUST THE 18 TEE SHOT. WE’LL SEE MORE OF THAT LATER IN THE SHOW. WHAT A SHOT HERE, PAUL. >> NEARLY 300 YARDS. I DON’T THINK THIS WAS A FULL 3 WOOD.

IT MAY WELL HAVE BEEN A 5 WOOD. FOUND THE PUTTING SURFACE. THAT WAS A BRAVE SHOT, A GOOD SHOT CONSIDERING WATER WITH THE LEFT. SO FAR BACK TO HIT IT ON THERE AND SALVAGE A BOGEY, KEPT HIM ON THE RIGHT TRACK. >> 5 UNDER, 31.

MY GOODNESS, WAS THE PUTTER WORKING. THE LAST THREE ROUNDS, PAUL, YOU SAID LAST WEEK HE WAS FOURTH IN THE FIELD. HE LIT IT UP IN THE SECOND ROUND. I DON’T KNOW THAT I’VE EVER SEEN HIM PUTT BETTER THAN HE DID TODAY.

>> THIS IS WHAT WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER. CONTROVERSY AROUND THIS ONE. THE BALL ON THE SIDE OF THE BANK. NOW THE QUESTION IS WHERE DID THE BALL CROSS? WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, LET’S HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS. >> IT DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING.

IT’S WHAT YOU THINK. >> THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONTROVERSY THERE, TOO, AND VIKTOR HOVLAND WAS INVOLVED AS WELL, GARY. >> HE MADE DOUBLE BOGEY. I THOUGHT THIS WAS ENORMOUS. A BOGEY TO CLOSE IT OUT. BIRDIES ALL FOUR PAR 5s. A ROUND OF 65. HERE IS RORY.

>> I’M NOT SURE HOW THE STROKES GAINED APPROACH STATS LOOK LIKE, BUT PROBABLY ONE OF MIP BEST DAYS IN A WHILE. WHICH IS REALLY NICE. YEAH, THE FEELING IS GOOD WITH THE IRONS, AND THE FEELING WITH THE DRIVER AND THE WOODS, THE 3 WOOD, IS DIFFERENT.

AS LONG AS I REMIND MYSELF, OKAY, THIS IS A WOOD. I GET ON THE FAIRWAY, THIS IS AN IRON. TWO DIFFERENT FEELS, TWO DIFFERENT THOUGHTS, THEN IT’S OKAY. YEAH, MUCH, MUCH IMPROVED ON THE APPROACH PLAY TODAY WHICH WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE. >> YOU CALLED SUNDAY A WAKE-UP

CALL. WHAT DID IT WAKE YOU UP TO? >> I NEEDED TO CLEAN UP THE TECHNIQUE A LITTLE BIT. NEEDED TO CLEAN UP SOME THINGS. HONESTLY, JUST NEEDED TO PUT THE TIME IN. WHEN YOU PLAY — I’VE WANTED TO PLAY A LOT AT THE START OF THE

YEAR, AND I HAVE, BUT WHEN YOU PLAY A LOT, YOU DON’T MAYBE GET THE TIME TO PRACTICE ALL THAT MUCH AT THE SAME TIME. SAY I HAD A DECENT DAY ON SUNDAY AT BAY HILL AND SHOT 70, FOR SURE I WOULD HAVE TAKEN MONDAY OFF HERE.

BUT BECAUSE OF NOT SHOOTING A DECENT SCORE, I GRINDED ON THE RANGE AND FIGURED SOMETHING OUT AND PUT THE TIME IN AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S ALREADY REAPING BENEFITS. >> SO TEN BIRDIES FOR RORY McILROY. THE MOST HE HAS EVER MADE IN 41

ROUNDS NOW HERE AT TPC SAWGRASS. BRANDEL AND PAUL, WE’LL GET INTO THIS, PICKING UP ABOUT 3 1/2 STROKES TO THE FIELD BOTH PUTTING AND APPROACH TO THE GREEN. THOSE HAVE BEEN SORE SPOTS IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO. WHAT DID YOU SEE TODAY THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVED?

I HAVE TO SAY, THAT YOU SAW COMING. >> A LOT OF HARD WORK WENT INTO THIS, AND HE NEEDED TO IRON SOME THINGS OUT. IT’S CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON. IRON PLAY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE, AND HE’S REALLY STRUGGLING IN THAT REGARD. I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO TALK

TO HIM YESTERDAY. HE TOLD ME EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS WORKING ON ON HIS IRON PLAY. HE TOLD ME HE HAD WORKED THE PROBLEMS OUT, SPENT FIVE HOURS, I BELIEVE HE TOLD DAMON HACK. A BACK AND FORTH COMPARISON BETWEEN HOW BAD IT WAS ON SUNDAY

AND HOW WONDERFUL IT WAS TODAY. LET’S GO BACK TO THE START OF SUNDAY. HE, AGAIN, DROVE IT BEAUTIFULLY THIS IS A HARD DRIVE AT THE FIRST HOLE AT BAY HILL, AND LEFT HIM ALMOST NOTHING TO THIS FRONT LEFT HOLE LOCATION. THOUGHT HE MIGHT STUFF IT IN THERE.

RORY WAS TALKING, THE SAME FEEL HE HAD WITH HIS DRIVER WOULD GIVE HIM TWO DEGREES OUT TO THE RIGHT. HIS PATH WAS TO THE RIGHT. HE HAD THESE PULSE, SO HE WANTED TO CORRECT THAT. HE SPENT MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY TRYING TO GET ON TOP

OF IT, EXIT TO THE LEFT. YOU SEE THE EXIT TO THE LEFT AND HAVING THE FACE ANGLE MORE NEUTRAL ON HIS RELEASE. BEAUTIFUL SHOT TO START HIS DAY AT THE 10th HOLE. THAT ONE WASN’T GOING LEFT. THAT ONE WAS SPOT ON. WE’LL GO BACK TO LAST WEEK, THE SECOND HOLE.

AGAIN, LONG IRON. THIS IS WHERE RORY HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEPARATE HIMSELF IN OTHER AREAS. IN PARTICULAR 175 TO 200 YARDS. PULLED THERE. HE KNEW IT FROM THE SECOND HE HIT IT. WE’LL GO FORWARD TO THE 11th HOLE. TODAY THE PAR 5, WHERE YOU DRIVE IT DOWN, ABOUT 226.

THAT’S WHERE HE’S LINING UP. LAST WEEK LINING UP LEFT, HE KIND OF DOUBLE-CROSSED HIMSELF OR PULLED IT. JUST WASN’T COMING OUT OF THE RIGHT BARREL. THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. THE GREEN AT THE 11th IS VERY NARROW, LONG BUT PLENTY NARROW. HIGH, SOFT CUT IS WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

THIS WAS PAINFUL, PAINFUL FOR HIM, PAINFUL FOR ALL THE RORY FANS FOR SURE. LAST SUNDAY 6th HOLE, AGAIN, GREAT DRIVE. IRON INTO THIS GREEN. LICKING HIS CHOPS FRONT RIGHT PIN. HE DIDN’T EVEN COME CLOSE TO HAVING THE RIGHT SHOT. THAT WAS FRONT LEFT PIN THERE. OVERHOOKED IT.

FINDS THE WATER, PAYS THE PRICE FOR IT. AGAIN, LONG SHOT INTO A PAR 5, NOT DOUBLE-CROSSING HIMSELF TODAY, LOOKING UP, LOOKING DOWN, LOVING EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF THIS ONE. WHAT A DIFFERENCE, THREE, FOUR, FIVE DAYS MAKES, THREE, FOUR, FIVE HOURS WORTH OF WORK BUT

ALSO JUST KNOWING HIS GAME AND HAVING ALL OF THAT TALENT. AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT. THE IRON PLAY WAS GREAT, BUT HE ALSO GAVE US A PREVIEW OF ONE SHOT THAT HE WAS GOING TO HIT TODAY. PAUL, WE WERETALKING WHERE ONLY CARRIES AROUND ONE LONG TEE. THAT’S IT.

THAT’S ALL HE ALLOWS RORY TO HAVE. A LOT OF FUN WATCHING HIM HIT THE SHOT AT 16 TODAY. >> HE FIRED IT UP OVER THE TREES, AND I THINK ONLY A 9 IRON, THE SECOND SHOT INTO THE PAR 5. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS

HIGHLIGHTED THERE AS WELL, AND I PICKED UP ON IT, TOO, BRANDEL, THIS IS THE DRIVE WE TALK ABOUT. >> THIS WAS ON 10 LAST WEEK WHERE HARRY LET HIM HAVE THAT ONE LONG TEE, RIGHT? >> YEAH, THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. ONLY ONE GUY COULD HAVE HIT

THAT. IT’S INCREDIBLE THAT HE FOUND THAT GREEN. BUT IT SHOWS YOU THE POWER THAT HE’S GOT. THE 16 TODAY, HE HAS TO TAKE IT OVER THE TREES. ONLY THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE’VE SEEN GUYS TAKE ON AND CHALLENGE. USED TO BE A DRAW THEY USED TO

PLAY. NOW WITH THE HIGH LAUNCH. ONLY 168 SECOND SHOT OR SOMETHING REALLY SHORT ON THAT PAR 5. IT SHOWS YOU THE IMPORTANCE OF POWER. ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS GOING TO HIGHLIGHT, BRANDEL, A LOT OF THE HOOKS WHEN THE PINS ARE ON THE

LEFT-HAND SIDE OR WHEN THERE’S TROUBLE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. TWICE TODAY WHEN TROUBLE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, I.E., WATER, HE HOOKS IT IN THERE. LAST WEEK AS WELL AS TODAY, WITH TROUBLE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, THAT’S WHEN HE SEEMS TO BATTLE. HERE IS 15 HERE TODAY.

SLIGHTLY ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. THIS IS A DON’T GO LEFT SWING. THIS IS COMING FROM THE SAME SPOT INSIDE. UH-UH, I’M GOING TO KEEP IT WIDE OPEN. DOESN’T WANT TO HUNT DOWN THAT FLAG TOO MUCH AND, AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT OF A BAILOUT TO THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE.

WHAT I’M SAYING IS THE GUY IS SECOND IN STROKES GAINED APPROACH TODAY. UNBELIEVABLY HUGE IMPROVEMENT. I’M JUST NIT-PICKING. WHEN THE PINS ARE ON THE LEFT, HE HAS A LITTLE GREMLIN WITH LEFT PINS AND THESE ARE HIGHLIGHTING A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF IT.

THE TWO STATS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATS REALLY WAY OFF THIS YEAR, I KNOW IT’S A SHORT SAMPLE SIZE, THE TWO STATS THAT ARE MILES OFF HAVE BEEN PUTTING AND STROKES GAINED APPROACH. HE DIDN’T DRIVE THE BALL AMAZINGLY WELL TODAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD.

THERE’S PLENTY IN THE TANK. THIS LEVEL OF PUTTING AND THIS LEVEL OF APPROACH PLAY, WE’RE GOING TO SEE VINTAGE RORY HERE. WITH SCHEFFLER PLAYING THE WAY HE IS, TOO, AND THE FACT SO MANY TOP PLAYERS FINALLY HAVE ALL COME TO PLAY AT THE SAME TIME,

WE MAY WELL BE IN FOR A GOOD WEEKEND HERE.