MCILROY’S MELTDOWN AS STAR ENDURES TERRIBLE DAY TO FINISH ON 74
Swede pleased with start at Baltusrol, getting a three-underpar 67 to tie fifth spot
ory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson were among the stars humbled by Baltusrol in Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Championship, leaving unheralded Jimmy Walker to seize the lead.
Walker, a 37-year-old American who missed the cut in three of his past four majors, fired a five-under-par 65 for a onestroke lead over Britain’s Ross Fisher, two-time major winner Martin Kaymer of Germany and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo. “All in all it was a great day,” Walker said. “I feel like I’ve prepared and I’m ready to go this week. It’s nice that’s what showed.”
New British Open champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden shared fifth on 67 with Britain’s Andy Sullivan and Americans Harris English and James Hahn.
Top-ranked defending champion Jason Day was among 12 players on 68. The Australian hung three off the pace despite fighting fatigue and illness and playing only one practice round. “Missed a lot of opportunities. I haven’t had the greatest putting display,” Day said. “To hit it where I wanted and execute like I did, really positive going into the next three days.”
Favourites stumble
But several of the favourites stumbled over the first 18 holes at the 7,428-yard layout.
Johnson had two double bogeys, four bogeys and a lone birdie in a 77.
Fourth-ranked McIlroy, a four-time major winner, fired a birdie-free 74, his worst-ever start in an event he has won two of the past four years. “I know my game is there, to keep giving myself chances,” McIlroy said.
“Hopefully I’m not shutout tomorrow. I can’t remember the last time I went without a birdie. I’ll stay as patient as I can and hopefully turn it around.”
McIlroy was on the practice green five hours after his round seeking answers. “I just really struggled on the greens. I had a couple chances I didn’t convert,” McIlroy said. “It just wasn’t my day.”
Five-time major winner Mickelson, the 46-year-old US left-hander who was British Open runner-up two weeks ago, made four bogeys in his first 11 holes but rallied to finish on 71 — six adrift alongside Spain’s Sergio Garcia, two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson and reigning Masters champion Danny Willett. “To come out and hit shots like I hit those first 11 holes was very disappointing,” Mickelson said. “I’m proud that I hung in there, fought and got three back coming in.
Third-ranked Jordan Spieth took a double bogey at seven but birdied the par-3 16th and par-5 18th to finish on 70. “Held strong, made a couple par saves. Pleased to grind out even par,” Spieth said. “I’m only five back. I post something tomorrow I’m definitely back in it.”
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson carried over the momentum from his British Open victory two weeks ago into the PGA Championship, firing a three-under-par 67 on Thursday to share fifth at Baltusrol.
Just 11 days after lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Troon by outdueling Phil Mickelson, the 40-year-old birdied three of the last seven holes to stand two back of US leader Jimmy Walker after round one.
“One week in between here might potentially be a good thing, but it could be a bad thing. It’s always hard to tell,” Stenson said.
“More time made it easier to recharge, but at the same time I feel I can carry that momentum I had at the Open Championship, and I guess the start shows that we’re not too far away when we teed it up again.”
At Troon, Stenson became just the second player to finish a major championship in 20-under-par, matching the record set by top-ranked Australian Jason Day at last year’s PGA Championship.
“Confidence level is pretty good. It could always be better, but I feel like I’m pretty clear on what I need to do with my game, my swing and everything,” Stenson said.
“The challenge this week was to be back in there mentally and focused and on one or two occasions, I think I slipped and I probably paid the price.”
Stenson cited a short par putt he missed at the ninth.
“But I think the most important thing is what you do afterwards, and I felt like I gave myself a little kick in the butt after missing that one,” Stenson said. “I was better committing on my lines than my strokes from there on.”
Stenson has made 30 birdies in his past five rounds. He has five rounds in a row in the 60s and 29 overall this year. “I’m pleased with that start. I played a very solid round. I wasn’t in too much trouble at any time. Hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, and gave myself some good chances,” Stenson said.
“Maybe felt a slight lack of preparation on the putting green this week was showing up on a few occasions, but all in all, I think I putted OK and I made the most of the ones I needed to make. I wasn’t quite as comfortable on the greens (as at Troon), but all in all, I think I handled that pretty well.”
Stenson played alongside the year’s other major winners, Masters champion Danny Willett of England and US Open winner Dustin Johnson of the United States.
“All of us are pretty happy with what’s happened this year. We all had our major breakthroughs,” Stenson said.
“It was more about enjoying it, but at the same time, we’ve got to move on. We’re in the middle of a busy season. I want to give myself a chance to try to make it the best season. I still want to focus and get back into it.”