Rory McIlroy gets boost from a bogey and leads Bay Hill

ORLANDO, FLA. » Rory McIlroy avoided a big number early and delivered his best shot late Thursday at Bay Hill on his way to a 6-under 66, giving him a oneshot lead among early starters in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

McIlroy had his sixth consecutive opening round of 68 or lower, another great start for the world’s No. 1 player.

It just didn’t feel that way early.

Trying to hammer an 8-iron to a back flag on his second hole of the day at No. 11, the ball landed short and left of the green and rolled into the water. He took a penalty drop, hit a pedestrian chip and escaped with a bogey by making a 10-foot putt.

“To hole that putt for bogey ... making 5 instead of 6 there is a big deal,” McIlroy said. “One over through 2 instead of 2 over is sort of a different feeling. And to turn that nine around and turn in under, I felt pretty good about myself going to the front nine.”

Three birdies and an eagle — a 3-iron from a fairway bunker to 25 feet — gave him a one-shot lead over Talor Gooch, who did all his scoring in a six-hole stretch.

The group at 68 included Sam Burns and Christian Bezuidenhout of South Africa, who is facing a big stretch of golf as he tries to get into the Masters. Burns was the only player to reach 7 under at any point in the round, but he finished with a bogey-double bogey to spoil an otherwise solid day.

Bay Hill was plenty tough with thick grass framing the fairway and greens that began to quicken under a warm Florida sun. Those playing in the afternoon, such as Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed, faced a much stronger wind.

McIlroy has gone six consecutive events worldwide without finishing worse than sixth, so this was expected. Even after his bogey on No. 11, and missing a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-5 12th, he was never really bothered.

“One over through six, there’s still 66 holes left in this golf tournament,” he said.

He began turning it around with a 5-iron into about 25 feet for a two-putt birdie, and a flawlessly played 18th hole with a 3-wood off the tee and a 9-iron to 10 feet behind the flag.

And then he was off. “Sort of had a bit of good pep in my step going into the first tee, and then I played some great golf after that,” he said.

McIlroy was never in any big trouble the rest of the way and rarely had birdie attempts outside 15 feet. He converted short birdie attempts on the first and sixth holes, made a 15-footer on No. 8 and saved par from behind the green on his final hole with a 10-foot putt.

But it was that 3-iron from the bunker on the par-5 fourth that provided the strongest illustration that this is a player in full flight as the Masters — the only major keeping him from a career Grand Slam — is right around the corner.

PHELAN M. EBENHACK — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, tees off on the ninth hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament Thursday in Orlando, Fla.