Rory McIlroy mixed the sublime and the ridiculous on the opening round of the BMW Championship in Delaware, America last night.
The Holywood man has long been regarded as one of the top drivers in the game but his tee shot on the par four 11th hole drew gasps from the crowd and commentators. McIlroy cut the corner on the dog-leg left fairway to roll right up towards the green, way beyond what everyone else in the field had managed.
He was six under through 14 holes before he hit the water from his tee shot on the par-3 15th. His shot from the drop zone then landed some 25 feet from the hole and he three-putted for a triple bogey. The American comentator on duty described McIlroy's efforts there as 'a total brain collapse'.
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McIlroy finished his round on three under, four shots behind leader Keegan Bradley and two off Shane Lowry
Speaking after his round, McIlroy said: “I have to take the positives. I still played a decent round of golf. Three under out there this afternoon was pretty good. I've just got to reset tonight and forget about that swing on 15 and go again tomorrow.
“Started really well, made some good things… just that one tee shot on 15. I felt like I had probably half a club too much, so I was trying to hit like a cut in there over the water, and I just double-crossed it and then compounded that by the three-putt.”
But overall it was a much better showing from McIlroy, who missed the cut in Memphis last week.
He added: “Knocked some more rust off… last week I definitely turned like a 5- or 6-under into a 1-under on Friday, and that was just sort of rust and not being as sharp as I wanted to be. Just a little sharper today, and hopefully that continues not just this week but obviously into next week, as well.
“I practiced really hard the week before Memphis just to get back into it after taking two full weeks off after the Open, but there's a difference between practicing at home and camping out on the range and actually playing golf.
“I knew I just needed even just a couple of competitive rounds last week in Memphis just to see where my game was, and then coming here early, working on some stuff, getting out on the golf course... I've been on the golf course every day since Saturday here, so playing little games with Harry, him trying to set me scores to shoot, like trying to get myself into that sort of competitive mindset again (has been helpful).”
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