A BOGEY ON the last denied Rory McIlroy a share of the lead at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after an opening day round of 67.
The Co Down man responded impressively to the disappointment of losing the Irish Open last week by the narrowest of margins by shooting a round which included seven birdies.
McIlroy birdied four consecutive holes, between three and six, and also birdied holes nine, 12 and 13. Yet dropped shots on the seventh and 18th holes mean he finished the first round behind Niklas Norgaard, who carded a 66.
The round was memorable also for an unusual event at the Par 5 12th, where McIlroy lost his clubhead. Still, the approach shot threatened the hole.
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Rory McIlroy's club head comes off after impact...#BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/eaF51JCvBy
Shane Lowry birdied the last to move to five-under par, level with McIlroy. The Offaly man had an eagle on the par 5 12th, as well as birdies on four, 11 and 14.
Tom McKibbin shot a two-under par round of 70. The 21-year-old had six birdies, including four in a row between holes 9-12, but bogies on holes one, three, seven and 15 slowed his march.
Padraig Harrington birdied the 18th to help him to a one-under round of 71. Birdies at holes two and four were followed by bogies on three and five in an otherwise steady round for the 53-year-old who made par on every other hole.
Simon Thornton is two-over after shooting 74.
McIlroy admitted he had endured a “weird” opening day, which saw him break a club mid-shot and have to putt left-handed.
The 2014 champion at the Wentworth venue eventually signed for a five-under-par, two strokes behind clubhouse leader Matthew Baldwin.
“I don’t think it’s ever happened to me before,” McIlroy said of the incident on the par-five 12th, when his approach finished six feet from the hole despite the clubhead flying off at impact.
“I hit nine iron on the ninth hole and it looked as if the ferrule (fastening) was coming loose, but it was actually the head detaching from the shaft.
“I obviously didn’t realise that when I hit the shot on 12. It was a bit of a weird feeling. Thankfully the ball went where I wanted it to. It could have been a lot worse but thankfully got it repaired and got it back on the 16th.”
The Northern Irishman also had to putt left-handed at the eighth after his ball landed on the edge of a pond.
“Hit a left-handed putt and 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,” he said.
Baldwin, who won his first European Tour title in South Africa last year, admitted he often struggles with nerves but was delighted with the way he remained focused in front of the large crowds.
“That’s a rarity for me to be fair, my thoughts are usually running wild,” the 38-year-old said.
Baldwin has a one-shot lead over British Masters winner Niklas Norgaard and Belgium’s Thomas Detry, while McIlroy’s 67 was matched by Ryder Cup team-mates Lowry and Robert MacIntyre, with 2019 winner Danny Willett returning a 68.
The former Masters champion underwent shoulder surgery after this tournament last year and has only played eight events in 2024, making the cut at Augusta National but missing the cut in each of his last five starts.
“It’s been tougher than I thought,” Willett admitted after a round containing six birdies and two bogeys.
“The first six months when I wasn’t doing anything was phenomenal. Just sat on the sofa, go to the gym every day but zero pressure – it could take as long as it wanted to.
“I think once I started getting back into trying to get ready to play, we just realised how insane this game drives you.”
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Additional reporting by AFP
