Mcilroy surges to lead at PGA Championship
Rory Mcilroy used four straight birdies early in his opening round Thursday to shoot a 5-under-par 65 and take the lead at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
The four-time major winner from Northern Ireland birdied his final hole to pass Will Zalatoris and Tom Hoge, who shot 4-under 66. Matt Kuchar, Justin Thomas and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer were tied for fourth at 3-under 67.
Playing in a group with Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth, Mcilroy started on the back nine and dialed up birdies at the 12th through 15th holes. At the par-4 12th, he stuck his second shot inside 2 feet of the pin for a tap-in. Another highlight came at the par-3 14th, where he rolled in a right-to-left birdie putt from 26 feet.
Mcilroy added birdies at Nos. 2 and 5 to reach 6-under before giving two shots back with bogeys at two par-3 holes, the sixth and eighth. But at the par-4 ninth, he sank a 19-foot, downhill birdie putt to move back into the lead.
Mcilroy is a two-time PGA champion (2012, 2014), but since his title in 2014, he has yet to break through and win another major.
Woods started with two birdies in his first five holes before coming apart. He favoured his surgically repaired right leg throughout. He finished at 4-over 74 after making seven bogeys and one more birdie. Spieth shot a 2-over 72.
Zalatoris counteracted two bogeys with six birdies. Last season’s PGA Tour Rookie of the Year tied for eighth at the 2021 PGA Championship.
Hoge collected five birdies and just one bogey. The 32-year-old earned his first career PGA Tour win earlier this year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was the top Canadian on the day with a 3-over 73, while Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was at 6-over and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., checked in at 7-over.