Players Championship 2015: Rory McIlroy puts Jordan Spieth in the shade on opening day

The world No 1 began with five straight pars before his first birdie from six feet on the 15th

Rory McIlroy celebrates making a putt on the 15th (EPA)

Rory McIlroy put Masters champion Jordan Spieth firmly in the shade on the opening day of the Players Championship at Sawgrass.

Much has been made of a possible rivalry between McIlroy and Spieth, who were placed in the same group for the first time since Spieth’s victory at Augusta National in April moved him second in the world rankings.

However, McIlroy, the world No 1, extended his lead in the rankings thanks to a win in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play on Sunday and continued that form with an opening round of 69, three under par.

In contrast, Spieth struggled to a three-over 75 and showed his frustration by throwing his ball into the water after a bogey on the 16th. “I think anything under par, and definitely anything in the sixties, is a very good start today so I am pretty pleased with that,” he said. “You just have to be very patient. I have a lot of pars on my card there.

McIlroy opened with five straight pars before his first birdie from six feet on the 15th. He dropped his first shot after a wayward approach to the first and had some bad luck on the second. From there he could only hit his third shot into a greenside bunker but got up and down for par and also birdied the eighth to continue his upward curve.

PA