McIlroy Continues Hot Streak With First-Round 65 to Take Early Lead at PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy used an early run of four birdies in a row to sit at 4-under after six holes and played at 1-under the rest of the way to shoot a 65 early on at Southern Hills to stand as the afternoon leader during the first round of the PGA Championship.

McIlroy, who finished second at the Masters last month and was fifth at the Wells Fargo Championship in his last event, started on the 10^th hole and birdied holes 12-15 to sit at 4-under.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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He got all the way to 6-under after a birdie on the par-5 fifth hole, but then bogeys on two of the next three dropped him back to -4. He birdied the par-4 ninth to close out the day with a 5-under 65.

Coming into this week, McIlroy said that he felt his game was in the shape that it needed to be to win here, and he echoed that after his round on Thursday.

McIlroy said:

“I think when your game is feeling like that, it’s just a matter of going out there and really sticking to your game plan, executing as well as you possibly can and just sort of staying in your own little world.” 

It was the fifth time that he’s opened a major with a 66 or better, and he won the previous three times that he did it.

McIlroy is a four-time major winner but hasn’t pulled off the feat since the PGA Championship in 2014. This season, he has one PGA Tour win—the CJ Cup @ Summit in October.

Cover Image Via CNN