Rory McIlroy compares Bay Hill to TPC Sawgrass and points out one area which should be easier at the Players Championship

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Rory McIlroy will be hoping for a better result at next week’s Players Championship than the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

McIlroy was in an excellent position to contend at Bay Hill after comfortably making the cut with back-to-back rounds of 70 (-2).

Unfortunately for the Northern Irishman, he then scored a one-over-par 73 on Saturday to give himself too much work to do in the final round.

McIlroy finished tied-15th in the end and will now have his sights set on performing better in The Players at TPC Sawgrass.

• READ MORE: Keegan Bradley makes history during final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill

Rory McIlroy shares key difference between Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass before The Players

Mcilroy was asked after the Arnold Palmer Invitational what he can take from the tournament into The Players.

But the four-time major winner downplayed the suggestion because the two courses, Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass, don’t have much in common.

Indeed, the key difference between the two is that he expects the rough at Sawgrass to be easier, which should make for lower scoring.

“I don’t know, it’s just they’re two completely different tests,” he explained. “You know, the rough isn’t quite as thick next week.

“It’s going to be quite a lot softer, so, yeah… they’re not super similar, they’re both in Florida, but that’s about it.

“So, no… it’s really just sort of move on from this week and put in a good three days of work to get ready for next Thursday.”

McIlroy was understandably frustrated after a disappointing weekend but the ability to finish 15th without playing well is a luxury that most golfers don’t have.

The world number two has every chance to lift The Players trophy next Sunday with some improvement on this week’s performance.

When Rory McIlroy won the Players Championship

McIlroy has only won The Players once before (2019). He scored 67 (-5) and 65 (-7) in the opening two rounds of the tournament to share the lead with Tommy Fleetwood going into the weekend.

The Ryder Cup duo both scored 70 (-2) on Saturday as fellow Team Europe star Jon Rahm climbed to the top of the leaderboard with an exceptional 64 (-8).

Rahm fell apart on the final day and McIlroy’s 70 (-2) was enough to clinch a one-shot victory ahead of Jim Furyk.

This would suggest that Sawgrass is a happy hunting ground for McIlroy but that’s actually not the case.

He missed the cut in 2023 and 2021 and has not finished inside the top 10 once since he won the tournament six years ago.