McIlroy begins his road to the Masters

“Just kind of teaches you how it works sometimes”, Spieth said of last year’s events. You want to challenge yourself, and you want to test yourself against the best that’s out here. It is a deceptive course using elevation and distance changes to flummox golfers.

Bubba Watson, who won at Riviera two years ago with a 64-64 weekend, opened with a 66 along with Chez Reavie and Luke List. World number three McIlroy blasted his way to a four-under par 67 in his tournament debut while American Spieth, the reigning Masters and US Open champion, slumped to one of the worst rounds of his career on a course he has played more than 30 times in five previous visits. The biggest surprise might have been Charlie Danielson, the senior from IL who won the collegiate qualifier on Monday.

“A couple of things in Dubai I wasn’t quite happy with, so I worked on those in Florida last week”, he said, referring to his tie for sixth at the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month. “But at the time I was looking into visiting both schools on unofficial visits once I was really a sophomore in high school”. If you don’t hit the Green in Regulation, but you can scramble it’s the same difference. He was nowhere near Spieth’s through line, though Spieth couldn’t resist saying, “Justin, you didn’t ask me”. He said he was fairly certain it didn’t move when his club, but wanted to be sure.

A decision was not expected until Friday. It would be a one-shot penalty under Rule 18-2 if the ball did move.

“If you let the little things worry you, which plenty of little things can, then it will just snowball on you and bad things happen”.

Despite missing numerous short putts on greens softened by overnight rain, Spieth says he is not giving up on winning the title. Spieth dropped six shots over the last seven holes, including a three-putt double bogey from 8 feet on the 18th.

Spieth was coming off a tie for 20th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, when the tournament got away from him with a 74 in the third round at Pebble Beach.

“I mean, that on its own is the kind of priceless experience that I can then get up and do it again”. Last year, he was just a final-hole par away from joining a play-off and prior to this year’s tournament Spieth called Riviera his “favourite course”. Fourteen players did not finish the round.

Spieth ended his round with a three-putt from 8 feet for a double bogey.

315 – Length in yards of the par-4 10th at Riviera. I think I shot 79 today. It was a good day out there.

McIlroy slipped back to No. 3 this week behind Day. Even so, he was happy to take advantage of the conditions.

“It’s one of those golf courses where it can bite you at any minute, but at the same time you can score and you can imagine a bunch of shots around the trees and around the greens”, he said.

Villegas figured it out quickly and played more aggressively, going at pins instead of planning for a big bounce.

“I tweaked my driver a little bit”. This is a golf course where it’s not easy to shoot 8 under.