Rory McIlroy needs to conquer Sawgrass' front nine to win Players
If The Players were only played on the back nine at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course, Rory McIlroy probably would have won it several times by now.
In the last three years, McIlroy has finished tied for eighth twice and tied for sixth, and he's had those results despite a 48-stroke difference in how he has performed on the host course's two nines. On the back nine, McIlroy is a combined 36 under par in his last 12 Players rounds. On the front? Not as good. McIlroy is 12 over par.
It's clear, then, that McIlroy's path to victory at The Players is made by paving a less bumpy road through the first nine.
“If I can maybe get out the front nine in 35 or 34 every day, that’ll give me a great chance to contend,” McIlroy said Wednesday.
Against split pars of 36, McIlroy isn't looking for much. His biggest problem hole on the front side is the par-4 sixth, a hole on which he has four bogeys and a double bogey in his last 12 Players rounds. McIlroy insists the dramatic difference isn't something about which he thinks.
“I don’t think it’s in my head,” McIlroy said. “I’m comfortable on the back nine, but it’s not like I’m uncomfortable on the front nine. There’s a couple of good chances on the front nine to make birdies. It’s just … that’s the way it’s been for me. I really can’t put my finger on it.
“I don’t know what it is. I mean, 18 is probably the toughest hole on the course, and I think I birdied it every day last year or every day in 2014. So there’s just some holes that set up well for me and I feel comfortable on them."
McIlroy surmises that the front nine at Sawgrass doesn't invite the kind of risk-reward style that he likes. It requires a different, more measured approach. And, as he's said in the past, McIlroy isn't really a fan of that style of golf. However, his willingness to take on that challenge -- as uncomfortable it makes him -- has led to some good results, even if just shy of a win. Putting on a happy face has helped.
"Coming in, (I’ve tried) being a little more positive," he said, "and being accepting of the fact that I might not be able to play the golf that I might want to play.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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