CMSD | -0.52% | 25.02 | $ | |
SCS | 0.53% | 13.21 | $ | |
RBGPF | 0.69% | 60.92 | $ | |
BCE | 0.03% | 33.49 | $ | |
BCC | -3.38% | 142.2 | $ | |
RELX | 0.91% | 48.59 | $ | |
RYCEF | 0.68% | 7.4 | $ | |
NGG | -1.41% | 67.19 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.52% | 24.79 | $ | |
RIO | -1.32% | 65.09 | $ | |
JRI | -0.15% | 13.15 | $ | |
VOD | -1.23% | 9.73 | $ | |
AZN | -0.37% | 78.02 | $ | |
GSK | -0.64% | 38.96 | $ | |
BP | 1.25% | 31.32 | $ | |
BTI | -1.22% | 35.37 | $ |
McIlroy grabs early lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Rory McIlroy got off to another hot start at Bay Hill on Thursday, firing a first-round 65 to take the lead in the US PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The Northern Ireland star, who won the event in Orlando in 2018 and has top-10 finishes in his last five appearances, had a two-shot lead with afternoon starters still on the course.
"I feel there's a nice flow to this golf course where you can really build a score," McIlroy said.
"You have par-fives, one every few holes, and you've got a couple of scorable par-fours. As long as you don't do anything stupid and you keep it in play, you feel like you can sort of methodically build a score on this golf course.
"I played the par-fives particularly well, and that was the bulk of the score," added McIlroy, who had three birdies and a 41-foot eagle putt to play the four par-fives in five-under.
McIlroy teed off on 10 and missed an eight-foot birdie chance at his opening hole. He was unable to get up and down from off the green and made bogey at 11.
But he followed a two-putt birdie at the par-five 12th by a birdie from the fringe at 13.
He rolled in his 41-foot eagle putt at 16 then birdied 18 to make the turn four-under.
Back-to-back birdies at the third and fourth saw him grab the solo lead and he made his last birdie of the day at the par-five sixth.
McIlroy said iron play was the key to his success on the par-fives.
"I hit a four-iron into 12 and a four-iron into 6. They were probably two of the best long irons I hit in a while. So when I start hitting long irons like that, I know my swing's in a pretty good place. Seeing shots like that certainly gives me some confidence."
Three players -- Beau Hossler, J.J. Spaun and former FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel -- were in the clubhouse on five-under 67.
Spaun had five birdies without a bogey, Hossler bagged six birdies and Horschel had five birdies and an eagle at 16 -- where he landed his second shot 10 feet from the pin.
D.Verheyen--JdB