Rory McIlroy has surged to a clubhouse lead in the opening round of the BMW Championship, carding a six-under-par finish at Bellerive Country Club. The world number two, who had a challenging 66th-place finish at the St Jude Championship last weekend, shares the top spot with American quartet Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun, and Chris Gotterup.
McIlroy reached the turn at two under before a strong finish, birdying the 13th and three of the final four holes. He credited his return to form to "good work" with his team, specifically mentioning swing coach Michael Bannon and caddie Harry Diamond.
The Northern Irishman told the Golf Channel that the Bellerive course setup suits his game better than Memphis, noting that wider playing corridors allowed him to recover from some errant tee shots. Japan's Ryo Hisatsune is one shot back at five under, while England's Alex Fitzpatrick, America's Michael Thorbjornsen, and Sweden's Ludvig Aberg are tied for seventh on four under.
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre finished two under, having withdrawn from the St Jude Championship after an opening 12-over 82. World number one and defending champion Scheffler, who won in Memphis, struggled with four bogeys early in his round.