Rory McIlroy sparkles to take the lead at Players

Rory McIlroy produced a stunning 65 at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass to sit joint top after the early wave completed their first rounds.

American Xander Schauffele sits alongside the Holywood golfer at the top on seven-under, who could have ended up even better with his card blighted by a double bogey and a bogey.

Excellent off the tee early on, McIlroy was tuned in from the start as he recorded three birdies to open – at the 10th, 11th and 12th holes.

Further shots were picked up at the 14th, 16th and 17th, thrilling the crowd with a brilliant approach on the island green on the latter, to suggest something special was on the cards.

That momentum stalled somewhat at the next hole as he found water, but a good bogey save saw the Irish golfer go out in 31.

McIlroy moved back to seven-under at the second with further birdies at the fourth and sixth moving him clear on eight-under.

Water proved his undoing again at the seventh, and it was followed by an extremely long delay as McIlroy and the other players in his group, Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland, discussed with rules officials where the ball had entered the water.

Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland discuss McIlroy's drop on No. 7.

Rory makes double bogey to move from solo leader to T2. pic.twitter.com/dkV6a5Q22W

FULL LEADERBOARD

It took over seven minutes for all parties to be satisfied where McIlroy would play his third, and he was unable to undo the damage of his tee shot as he double-bogeyed.

However after a par on the eighth, he closed out with a birdie on the ninth to put him in a brilliant position heading into the second round.

Fellow Irish player Seamus Power was one-under after three holes with Shane Lowry one of the last groups waiting to tee