Rory McIlroy falls aside in catastrophic approach as PGA Championship hopes in tatters
Aaron Rai fired a six-under 66 to share the first-round lead at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, as Rory McIlroy squandered an early five-under advantage to finish three shots back on 69
It all went a bit sideways(Image: David Cannon, Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy made a blistering start to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, but his round fell apart, leaving fellow major winner Aaron Rai as the joint first-round leader. The Northern Irishman was five under through 10 holes and leading outright before some erratic driving proved expensive on the back nine, dropping three shots over his final six holes.
US PGA champion Rai, playing with Masters winner and Open champion Ryan Fox in the featured group that combined for 13 under par, was characteristically steady throughout.
He also managed five birdies in his opening 10 holes, with one bogey, and added two more on the way home to card a six-under 66, three shots better than McIlroy and two clear of Fox.
He started well, but finished poorly(Image: BEN STANSALL, AFP via Getty Images)
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McIlroy, who shot 60 in Wednesday’s pro-am, is attempting to catch Patrick Reed and claim a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai crown, and appeared determined to make his mark with the American playing in the group ahead.
Beginning at the ninth, all but one of his first five birdies came from within two and a half feet, with a 20-footer at the par-five 12th the only exception, including three consecutive efforts from a combined five feet five inches from the 16th.
He left an eagle putt agonisingly short at the 17th and another birdie chance at the second, but from that point things began to unravel.
McIlroy dropped shots at the third and sixth, though a fine recovery at the fourth yielded a birdie and he managed to save par at the seventh. However, from thick rough following another wayward drive at the eighth, he slashed into the water hazard protecting the green and surrendered his third shot of the day to complete a three-under 69.
Rai found the same water at the eighth but managed to chip up and rescue par. He was subsequently joined on six under by Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren, whose round featured an eagle at the 12th.
Reed had momentarily shared the lead with a fifth birdie before he also succumbed to the 395-yard par-four eighth, ending up in the group on four under alongside Fox and Viktor Hovland. “Started very strong, five-under through 10, and started hitting a few loose shots on the way in,” said McIlroy.
“It started to get a little tricky there at the end, the wind was gusty, but I played well. I certainly saw some improvements on the greens compared to last week. It felt like I could have been a couple better at least but I think it’s going to play pretty tricky this afternoon so 69 isn’t a bad score to start with.”
