Face of the Tour
McIlroy, outspoken about players who jumped, Poston tied for lead
CROMWELL — Rory McIlroy has been the most outspoken against his former PGA Tour colleagues who have defected to the LIV Tour.
He used the word “duplicitous” to describe those who have expressed their loyalty to the tour first, then changed their mind to make the jump to LIV.
Brooks Koepka was the latest marquee name to leave one tour for the other.
If McIlroy wasn’t the face of the PGA Tour before, he is now. And when it actually comes to golf, McIlroy is still as good as there is when he is on his game.
He was on Thursday, firing a 8-under-par 62 at TPC River Highlands, tying J.T. Poston for the firstround lead at the Travelers
Championship.
“I think at this point it’s just, energy levels are okay. I’m feeling a little under the weather, but it’s just concentration at this point,” McIlroy said. “I’ve got three more rounds left until I have a couple of weeks off and prepare for the Open Championship. I’m going to put everything into those three rounds.”
Xander Schauffele, who played in the group in front of McIlroy, is tied for second place with Martin Laird. Both golfers shot 7-under 63s.
And like McIlroy, both men played in the morning wave. Schauffele hit all 18 greens in his round of 63.
“I probably had enough putts today to shoot something in the 50s, I think. I didn’t really make any long putts, so it was kind of a testament to how well I hit it,” Schauffele said.
Schauffele has been among many rumored to LIV, but he voiced his decision recently to remain on the PGA Tour. He is No. 15 in the world rankings.
McIlroy is second behind No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who is the reigning Masters champion and is tied for 28th after his opening
round of 2-under 68.
Travelers has itself a very good leaderboard for an opening round. The three-way tie for fifth place includes world No. 6 Patrick Cantlay, former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson and Charles Howell III, all at 6-under 64.
“Having a day where you don’t make any bogeys is always a good day. I took advantage of the holes on the back nine that you’re supposed to,” Cantlay said.
Said Howell: “I looked the other day, this is my 609th golf tournament. Oddly enough, I actually turned pro here at this tournament in 2000. Prior to that, they gave me a sponsor invite, so I played here when I was 17. To think I played here when I was 17 and now 43, it goes fast.”
McIlroy, who started on the back nine, birdied holes 1, 3, 6, 7, 13, 15 and 18. He made no bogeys. It’s McIlroy’s lowest round in his fourth time playing the event.
“I birdied the two holes on the back nine that you should, 13 and 15, and then made a nice one on 18 to turn in 3-under par,” McIlroy said. Then once I got going on the front side there, that’s when I started to really feel it and started to hole some putts and hit some quality shots.”
McIlroy has five top-8 finishes in his last six starts. He won the Canadian
Open two weeks ago and has contended in all three major championships.
This is McIlroy’s fourth tournament in as many weeks.
“Thankfully in a round of golf you only need to concentrate for about 10 minutes in that five hours that we play. It shouldn’t be too much of a struggle,” McIlroy said. “I’m not going to see a golf club or a golf ball for the rest of the day and go and rest up. Yeah, just sort of conserve energy a little bit for tomorrow and the weekend.”
Poston shot 29 on his opening nine, the back nine, during the afternoon. He birdied two of his final three holes to land in a tie for the lead.
”I was able to kind of take advantage of playing the back nine first and getting some birdies out of the way and then just played real solid on the inward nine,” Poston said.