A broken club head, a left handed putt and going out of bounds all added up to an opening round of 67 at the BMW PGA Championship for Rory McIlroy, his joint lowest opening effort at Wentworth.
It would have been a career low opening round of 66 for McIlroy had he not bogeyed the last. His 2nd shot to the 18th was blocked out to the right, clipping a tree and resting on the out of bounds path, his chip (4th shot) rattled the flagstick rather luckily and he tapped in for a 6 to leave him in what was a share of the lead on five-under.
“It was a solid day, hit some quality shots, held some nice putts. Back nine is playing tough, the wind is getting up through 13 and 17 into the wind. Disappointed with the last but it’s a good start,” reflected McIlroy.
McIlroy usually does the rounds on social media for his sensational play at times but on Thursday he went viral for losing his club head after cracking his second shot on the par-5 12th to 8-feet, but he had no idea where the ball was as the head off his iron sailed through the air.
He was able to make birdie and get his club repaired by the time he had reached the 16th.
“I don’t think it’s ever happened to me before. Obviously a very weird feeling through impact. I looked up and the club head caught my eye instead of the golf ball. So I completely lost where the golf ball was. Didn’t know where it went.
“But I was just looking somewhere around the green and saw the ball fall just right of the pin and go up there and go pretty close. Fortunately, it didn’t impact the shot too much. But I got it repaired and had it back on 16. Thankfully didn’t need it for any of the holes in between.
“But yeah going from hot conditions to colder conditions and indifferent climates that can happen but glad the ball went straight and I could make a birdie.”
That was the highlight of a rollercoaster day for the Holywood man who roared into the lead with four successive birdies from the 3rd before dropping a shot on the 7th and birdieing the 9th.
In between seven and nine, the 35-year-old did save par from just above the water hazard as he putted left handed with the back of his putter on 8.
“Yeah, hopefully no more left-handed this week. Yeah, it was up against the sort of collar there where that water hazard is on the 8th hole, and didn’t really have a stance hitting it right-handed.
Hit a left-handed putt. Did a decent job. At least I got the speed pretty much correct. I didn’t get the line right, but knocked that one in, made par and very swiftly moved to the 9th tee, pretty happy.”
McIlroy found the going more difficult on the back nine with just two birdies on 12 and 13. He was fortunate to save par on 17 after snap hooking his drive left and he ran out of luck on 18 with a closing six.
McIlroy last won this event in 2014 but even then he never truly loved the golf course, now a real fan of Wentworth he has figured out the formula at the Ernie Els redesign as he looks to go one better than his runner up finishes of 2018 and 2022.
“I finally embraced what this golf course asks of you. The first few years of my career I tried to overpower it and hit too many drivers and try to push the ball up the fairway too much.
“After Ernie redid it in 2011 I started to play it better because I accepted that I will have to put it in the same positions as the rest of the field and rely on irons and wedges from there, that’s really it just trying to not force and overpower the golf course has been a big key since then.
“Both! Disappointed in the result and not being able to get it done but incredibly grateful to have the opportunity in front of those people to pull off something special, didn’t quite happen but every time I get to go back and play in front of those fans it means the world to me and I can’t wait for Portrush to do it all over again.”
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