Rory McIlroy suffers nightmare start to Players Championship after quadruple bogey on 18th hole

McIlroy twice found the water on the 18th midway through an already testing first round

Rory McIlroy in trouble on the opening 10th hole (Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy’s hopes of defending his crown at the Players Championship sank on Thursday as he twice found the water on the 18th hole.

Starting his opening round on the back nine at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy got off to a nightmare start when he hooked his 10th-tee drive into the undergrowth and had to take a penalty-drop on his way to a double bogey.

A three-putt on the par-three 13th deepened his woes but worse was to come at the 18th, where he hooked his drive into the water running down the left of the fairway and then again with an iron approach, before three-putting once more.

The quadruple-bogey eight left McIlroy seven over par and 11 shots off the early lead held by Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick on -4. Fitzpatrick’s countryman Lee Westwood was also flying high in the opening round on three under par through 13 holes.

Watch McIlroy’s nightmare start in the video above.