Rory McIlroy carded an opening 68 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but it could have been anything after a rollercoaster day as Shane Lowry put on an iron play clinic in his 67 to lie five shots behind Ryo Hisatsune.
Defending champion McIlroy roared out of the traps at Spyglass Hill with back to back birdies before he holed out from the bunker for eagle on the par-5 14th. He birdied the 17th and 2nd to move to six-under before he matched his flashes of brilliance with the ridiculous on the way to the clubhouse.
The five-time major winner double bogeyed the par-3 3rd after finding the greenside bunker and taking three putts from 8-feet. He bounced back with a birdie at the fourth before he repeated the feat on the par-3 5th after taking three blows from five feet.
A closing birdie left him sighing with relief but he is six shots off the pace on four-under as he bids to tackle Pebble Beach which saw some scintillating scoring.
Last year’s runner-up Lowry got in and amongst the birdies at Pebble and at five-under looks well placed to challenge again.
The Offaly man started well with three birdies in his first six holes before back to back bogeys on 9 and 10 stalled his progess.
Bidding for his first individual win since 2022, Lowry caught fire on the way home with a birdie on the par-3 12th and three birdies in his last four holes to climb into the top-20.
Japan’s Hisatsune carded his lowest round on the PGA Tour as he continued his recent habit of fast starts with a 10-under 62 and he leads by one from Sam Burns and Keegan Bradley.
Hisatsune who earned his PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour made over 160-feet of putts at Pebble Beach.
“Yeah, especially as I’m like in two weeks I making goals, much different person right now than like pretty much more comfortable. I like these greens. I like a poa green like much easier. Feeling like more comfortable to playing these greens. Yeah, feeling like yeah, that’s why I can feeling more comfortable. Very lucky.”
Although he hasn’t been able to convert his good starts into a maiden PGA Tour title, back to back top-10 finishes have given him confidence in the first Signature Event of the season.
“Yeah, especially like making really nice like more bit of more confidence and like more much comfortable playing right now. Yeah, more keep going, yeah.”
World number one Scottie Scheffler is level-par after a frustrating 72.
Scoring HERE
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