Thirty-two days after his dramatic play-off victory on the Masters, which noticed him develop into solely the sixth participant to win all 4 majors, most eyes had been on McIlroy as he headed out as a part of a three-ball containing the world’s high three-ranked gamers.
McIlroy – the US PGA champion in 2012 and 2014 – has an wonderful file at Quail Hole, profitable 4 PGA Tour occasions there throughout his profession.
The world quantity two began with a birdie on the par-five tenth – his first gap of the day – however gave that shot straight again by three-putting for bogey on the eleventh inexperienced.
One other birdie adopted on 15, however the marquee trio faltered on the entrance to Quail Hole’s troublesome closing three-hole stretch, often called the ‘Inexperienced Mile’.
All three left the sixteenth gap with double bogeys after McIlroy put his tee shot into the thick tough and Scheffler and Schauffele dumped their second pictures into the water.
Later, each Scheffler and Schauffele voiced their frustrations on the choice to not enable ‘most well-liked lies’ on Thursday, following heavy rain within the build-up to the occasion.
The pair had been significantly irked by their misfortune on the sixteenth gap when their balls picked up mud, which they claimed affected their subsequent pictures to the inexperienced. If preffered lies had been in place, they’d have been allowed to raise, clear and change their balls.
After a collection of pars in the direction of the top of his first spherical, five-time main winner McIlroy ended with one other dropped shot on his ultimate gap.
He hit simply 4 of 14 fairways from the tee, a statistic he should enhance if he’s to maneuver again into competition.
Nevertheless, McIlroy has proven already this 12 months that he can recuperate from an enormous first-round deficit to win one of many sport’s greatest prizes – he was seven pictures behind Justin Rose after spherical one on the Masters earlier than coming again to win the Inexperienced Jacket.
McIlroy’s second spherical set to start at 18:47 BST on Friday.
