Rory McIlroy, making the most of ideal scoring conditions, shrugged off a painful knee to soar three shots clear with a spectacular nine-under-par 63 in Thursday’s opening round of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.
The Northern Irish world No. 6, just four days after winning the European Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, recorded two eagles on his back nine to seize control of the elite PGA Tour event hosted by Jack Nicklaus.
Though McIlroy was troubled by a sore left knee from his seventh hole of the day, he surged up the leaderboard with a brilliant homeward nine of 31 that included a double-bogey at the 14th.
Photo: AFP
“I obviously played really well from tee to green,” McIlroy told the Golf Channel after totaling only 22 putts and ending the first round three ahead of Americans Bubba Watson and Chris Kirk, and Englishman Paul Casey at the Muirfield Village Golf Club.
“I holed a lot of putts as well, two really good up-and-downs at the last two holes. It could have been even better apart from that double-bogey on 14, but I am really happy.”
McIlroy, whose victory last week came just days after he broke up with his tennis-playing fiancee Caroline Wozniacki, drained a 28-foot putt to eagle the par-five 11th, then sank a 15-footer for eagle at the par-five 15th.
His only blemish of the day came at the par-four 14th, where he pulled his wedge approach into a horrible lie in a greenside bunker.
Asked what was wrong with his left knee, McIlroy replied: “Honestly I don’t know. I felt it on my second shot on [hole] seven today. I think my foot might have just got stuck in the ground a little bit and torqued my knee.”
“I’m going to go and get some treatment on it now and have a physio look at it. Hopefully it will be all right for tomorrow. This is a new injury. I haven’t felt this before,” McIlroy said.
Masters champion Watson, the world No. 5 and among seven players in the top 10 competing this week at Muirfield Village, was delighted with his opening round on a rain-softened course with barely a breath of wind.
“They are generous fairways around here, so I can keep the ball somewhat in play,” the American left-hander said after ending his round with four birdies — out of six in total — in the final five holes.
Casey, whose only victory on the PGA Tour came at the 2009 Houston Open, was also in an upbeat mood after his first competitive round at Muirfield Village since 2009.
“That was a joy today,” Casey said. “I thought the golf course [was] in impeccable shape. It’s beautifully set up. I’m very happy with a six-under.”
Australian Adam Scott, who clinched the Crowne Plaza Invitational on Sunday and is making his second consecutive appearance on the PGA Tour since replacing Tiger Woods as world No. 1, opened with a 69.
US Open champion Justin Rose of England, who won the 2010 Memorial Tournament, returned a 73, while American world No. 4 Matt Kuchar launched his title defense at Muirfield Village with a 74, which included two double-bogeys.
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