McIlroy, Rahm & Scheffler in same Players Championship group

1 year ago 52

Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm astatine the Ryder Cup

Dates: 9-12 March Venue: TPC Sawgrass, Florida
Coverage: Live vigor and substance commentary connected Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and BBC Sport website and app for last 2 rounds

The apical 3 players successful the satellite person been grouped unneurotic for the opening 2 rounds of this week's Players Championship astatine Sawgrass successful Florida.

Spain's Jon Rahm, who has won 5 of his past 10 tournaments, is the satellite fig 1 but second-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who is third, tin instrumentality apical spot with a win.

Australia's Open champion Cameron Smith, who won the PGA Tour's flagship lawsuit past year, volition not beryllium defending his rubric due to the fact that helium opted to articulation the LIV Golf circuit past year.

Also missing are India's Anirban Lahiri and England's Paul Casey, who finished 2nd and 3rd successful 2022, due to the fact that they excessively person chosen to play successful the Saudi Arabian-funded set-up.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy, who won this lawsuit successful 2019, comes into the tourney successful bully form, having finished runner-up astatine past week's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

American Scheffler was associated 4th astatine Bay Hill, portion Rahm, who led aft circular one, carded successive 76s successful his last 2 rounds arsenic helium recorded his worst decorativeness since July's Scottish Open, ending associated 39th.

The marquee radical volition tee disconnected successful Thursday's opening circular connected the 10th spread astatine 12:56 GMT.

England's US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick starts his situation astatine 17:34 alongside Norway's Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry of Ireland.

American friends Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth volition besides play unneurotic successful the opening 2 rounds astatine the people which is famed for its land greenish connected the par-three 17th hole. They tee disconnected with compatriot Max Homa astatine 17:56.

This year's victor volition instrumentality location $4.5m (£3.75m), from a prize money of $25m - Smith won $3.6m from a $20m cookware successful 2022.