PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 14: Jordan Spieth of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland look on from the 16th green during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 14, 2024 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty
By the time two of the biggest stars on the PGA Tour hollered across the TPC Sawgrass fairway — their arms outstretched in confusion for a six-minute conversation that involved TV cameras, hearsay and turtles — the absurdity and tension at the 50th Players Championship became apparent. At that point, it felt like a whole lot more was in the air than whether or not Rory McIlroy’s tee shot landed above or below the red out-of-bounds line, and where it was appropriate for him to drop his ball.