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McIlroy shores boring way never hurts at TPC Sawgrass

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the sand on the 15th hole fairway during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament Thursday, May 7, 2015, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the sand on the 15th hole fairway during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament Thursday, May 7, 2015, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the sand on the 15th hole fairway during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament Thursday, May 7, 2015, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

By Associated Press 5 min read

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Rory McIlroy finally figured out that playing conservatively would be the best way to attack the TPC Sawgrass.

It was boring by his standards – 14 pars, a pair of birdies, an eagle and a bogey.

Compared with all the other high-wire acts during the opening round at The Players Championship, that wasn’t all bad. McIlroy pieced together a 3-under 69 Thursday that left him two shots behind a four-way tie for the lead.

Tiger Woods hit a tee shot into water he didn’t know existed. He shot 73, the fifth straight tournament that he failed to break par in the opening round.

Jordan Spieth was 40 yards from the green and hit a wedge three straight times before getting there. He shot 75, matching his highest score of the year.