Graeme McDowell led the Irish charge after the first round at the Player’s Championship at TPC Sawgrass when he finished his first round in three under par. McDowell closed with a 69.

Three birdies on the back nine from McDowell left him one shot better than the higher ranked Rory McIlroy, who slipped from being joint leader at five under par to -2 for his round.

Where McDowell, a notorious grinder, knocked out three birdies on the back nine and made par on the other holes, McIlroy’s round unravelled somewhat down the straight.

The US Open and PGA Championship winner, who played the back nine first, turned in an encouraging 33 after four birdies and a bogey to leave him at 3 under par after nine holes.

McIlroy then birdied the first and second holes after the turn, which were his 10th and 11th, to go to -5 and joint leader before dropping back a shot at the par three third hole. His approach from the tee missed the green to the left and he failed to get up and down for his par.

That seemed to start the back nine decline for McIlroy as he added bogeys on the sixth and eighth holes to finish on 70, a shot adrift of McDowell, who completed his back nine in an impressive 33.

McDowell remains four shots off Russell Henley’s clubhouse lead of -7 with McIlroy five shots back.