Spieth explains his side of controversy
Over Rory McIlroy’s drop at the Players Championship
Jordan Spieth explains his side of the controversy. He was not intending to take part in the conversation between Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland about McIlroy’s drop on the 7th hole during Thursday’s Players Championship. However, he decided to join in, despite now realizing that he maybe shouldn’t have done so. He made this admission on Friday.
“It was like Viktor was having the conversation, and I only walked over because it seemed like, ‘Hey, let’s just make sure everything is all right,’” said Spieth, who spoke for the first time about the controversy after declining to speak following Thursday’s opening round.
“I wasn’t even planning on getting involved and maybe shouldn’t have. But it seemed like they were maybe at a sticking point. So I thought maybe I could help.”
Red line
On Thursday, McIlroy hit two balls into the water at No. 18 and 7. However, there was a heated exchange between McIlroy and Spieth after his second shot on the seventh hole. The confusion arose on the seventh hole as it was unclear whether McIlroy’s drive had landed above or below the red line before bouncing into the water. This would have made a difference in where he dropped the ball. Rory said he was “pretty comfortable” that it landed above the line, but Spieth wanted to be sure. The television broadcast picked up their discussion.
PGA TOUR on Twitter: “Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland discuss McIlroy’s drop on No. 7. Rory makes double bogey to move from solo leader to T2. pic.twitter.com/dkV6a5Q22W / Twitter”
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland discuss McIlroy’s drop on No. 7. Rory makes double bogey to move from solo leader to T2. pic.twitter.com/dkV6a5Q22W
Chiming in
Friday, after Spieth shot a 74 and missed the cut with a two-round total 2-over par 146, he said he believed McIlroy’s drop was proper.
“I only walked over there because I thought he had dropped it, and then he was questioning where he was dropping it,” Spieth said. “So I was just trying to make sure he didn’t play it and everyone was good.
“I was good with the spot he was choosing. Then I was just listening to the conversation of Rory and Viktor, and Rory had said … ‘we think it crossed up there, could have been back there, so this seems like somewhere in between.’ That sounds like something you probably should verify with a rules official, and then he did. And it was all good.”
Not happy
McIlroy, who shot a 73 Friday and is 6 under entering the weekend, appeared aggravated when Spieth said everyone he heard talking who saw the shot said they were “100 percent certain it landed below the line.”
Spieth said Friday he only said that to McIlroy in case the landing spot was caught by television cameras and the drop was where it should have been.
“I told him when we walked off the tee that they had said that, and I said ‘I couldn’t tell because I thought it was going to land so much further that it surprised me where it dropped,’” Spieth said. “So I thought it was important to say that honestly. Because of that, I was like, ‘Why don’t you just make sure in case they caught it.’”
Spieth said conversations like the one he, McIlroy, and Hovland had Thursday were played out several times on the Stadium Course the last two days.
“I think all anybody wants is for you to put the ball where it should go. In our sport … especially on a golf course like this or last week, you get some situations where it can be really tricky on knowing for sure,” Spieth said. “You normally err on the safe side and then you pick where you’re virtually certain where it did cross, and I think that’s what Rory chose both times.”