He then rifled a long-iron down the middle of the fairway on the par-4 12th, his last swing before the stoppage. McIlroy, of course, is eyeing his second Players Championship title in six years. He last conquered TPC Sawgrass in 2019,

McIlroy began the final round four shots off the lead but a brilliant start helped take the world number two to the top of the leaderboard.

Rory McIlroy shot over par on moving day at The Players Championship, but believes he still has a shot at his second title.