Mcilroy hopes form can last until the end

TULSA (Oklahoma) • Rory McIlroy finally delivered the sizzling start at a Major he has waited years to unleash. Since his last victory in 2014, poor opening rounds at golf's biggest events have proven too difficult to overcome for the Northern Irishman but, on Thursday, he flipped the script at Southern Hills.

The world No. 7 fired a five-under 65 to grab a one-shot lead at the PGA Championship, to mark his lowest opening round in a Major since posting the same score en route to winning the 2011 US Open.

In mixing seven birdies, including four in a row for his longest career birdie run at a Major, with two bogeys, he has given himself a chance of ending his drought.

The past three times McIlroy has opened a Major with a 66 or lower, he has won the title. "Just happy when you get off to a good start like that," the 33-year-old said. "Sometimes, you can maybe start to be a little careful or start to give yourself a little more margin for error, but I stuck to my game plan."

"I've been playing well coming in here, carrying some good form. Obviously a lot came from that last round at Augusta (he shot an eight-under 64 to finish runner-up)."

For McIlroy, that meant shutting out the distractions that come with playing alongside Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth and the huge crowd watching their every move.

"When your game is feeling like that, it's just a matter of going out there, really sticking to your game plan, executing as well as you possibly can, and just sort of staying in your own little world," he said.

"I did that really well today. This course, it lets you be pretty aggressive off the tee if you want to be, so I hit quite a lot of drivers out there and took advantage of my length and finished that off with some nice iron play and nice putting."

Will Zalatoris and Tom Hoge both shot 66 to stay on McIlroy's heels, while fellow Americans Matt Kuchar and Justin Thomas, and Mexico's Abraham Ancer were tied for fourth at 67.

While McIlroy got off to a fine start in his bid for a third PGA Championship title, Woods will be among those needing to rebound after slumping to a 74. Back in action for the first time since his sensational return to competition at the Masters, just 14 months after a car crash nearly claimed his leg, the 15-time Major winner wasted no time in firing up the crowd with a birdie on his opening hole.

But it was mostly all downhill from there as he piled up seven bogeys - two to close out his round - and has work to do just to make the cut. The pained expression on his face as he walked off the course was in stark contrast to the joyful look he had five weeks earlier in his opening round at Augusta.

"It was a frustrating day," said Woods, adding that his leg did not feel as good as he thought it would. "Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, and walking hurts, and twisting hurts."

It was equally frustrating for Spieth as his bid to complete the career Grand Slam of golf's four Majors got off to an unimpressive start with a scrappy 72.

Masters champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also struggled as he shot a 71, while his playing partners - No. 2 Jon Rahm (73) and British Open champion Collin Morikawa (72) - fared worse.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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