McIlroy’s Strong Start at Bellerive
Rory McIlroy has secured a share of the lead after the opening round of the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club. McIlroy, who finished 66th at last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, carded an opening-round 64, featuring six birdies. He expressed that he feels he is “back on the right path” with his game, despite acknowledging there is “still a lot of work to be done.”
McIlroy’s round included a 15-foot birdie at the fourth hole and a recovery from an off-target drive to birdie the par-five eighth. He also rolled in an eight-foot putt at the par-three 13th. The Masters champion converted a five-foot putt at the 15th before concluding his round with back-to-back birdies to reach six under par. This performance placed him in a five-way tie for the clubhouse lead.
The other golfers sharing the lead at six under par are Americans Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun, and Chris Gotterup. Woodland initially set the target with his 64, which included a hole-out eagle on the 11th, despite finishing with a bogey. Spaun also dropped a shot on the final hole but remained at six under. Clark rallied with five birdies in his last six holes to join the leaders. Gotterup threatened to take the solo lead after a burst of three birdies from the 13th, saving par with a 20-foot putt on the last hole to stay at six under.
Scheffler’s Challenging Opening Round
In contrast to the leaders, pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler experienced a difficult start. Scheffler, who won by eight shots last week, is currently eight strokes behind the leaders after a two-over 72. His round included four bogeys within the first seven holes, leaving him tied for 44th in the 50-man field.
Scheffler’s struggles during the opening round were noted, particularly with his driver on the front nine. This marks a significant shift from his recent dominance, which saw him secure an impressive win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The BMW Championship is the second event of the PGA Tour’s postseason, with professional golf returning to Bellerive Country Club for the first time since the PGA Championship in 2018.
Other Notable Performances
Among other players, Matt Fitzpatrick is one shot back from the leaders, having posted an opening-round 65. Ludvig Åberg and Alex Fitzpatrick both recorded opening-round 66s. Bob MacIntyre, who withdrew from last week’s event, carded a two-under 68. Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood are both five strokes off the lead after the first day of play.
The BMW Championship is a crucial event for many players, as only the top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings after Sunday’s final round will advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta next week. The field for the BMW Championship consists of the top 50 golfers in the FedEx Cup points standings after last week’s event. Live coverage of the BMW Championship began on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports+ and 5.30pm on Sky Sports Golf.
Source: skysports.com