Rory McIlroy hits the gas! With a five-under-par round at the PGA Championship, he's shaking up the field and chasing leader Ryan Gerard, who has a firm grip on the top spot.
After the first day at Wentworth Course, southwest of London, things looked bleak: three bogeys on the last six holes of the opening round were nothing to brag about. But on Friday, the Northern Irishman, one of only six golfers to have won all four major titles, showed a completely different face. The reigning US Masters Champion started like a house on fire, scoring three birdies on his first five holes.
The 37-year-old McIlroy, eager to overtake Patrick Reed in the race for his eighth Race to Dubai title – a record for eternity! – did drop a shot on the par-four 8th, turning with 33 strokes on the back nine. But on the 11th, he immediately got the lost shot back with a birdie from a good 16 feet. Another birdie on the par-three 14th, only to bogey the 16th again. On the 17th, he narrowly missed an eagle putt, but comfortably tapped in for birdie. And as if that wasn't enough, he added another birdie on the final hole, signing for a 67.
For Patrick Reed, the day ended early: in the middle of his second round, the American had to withdraw due to injury – by then he was already nine over par.
Ryan Gerard, who had already started the day at five-under-par, added to his score on the 17th: an eagle from a good 20 feet, securing him the outright lead! And to cap it off, he grabbed another birdie on the final hole, carding a sensational round of 65. Australia's Adam Scott also shot a 67 and is now ten-under-par, just two shots behind Gerard, sharing second place with Italy's Filippo Celli. Scott dryly commented on his run: "I've had a few quiet weeks. I may not have felt optimally prepared golf-wise, but mentally I was top-fit. That's really helped me in recent days."
US PGA Champion Aaron Rai, playing in a true star grouping with McIlroy and British Open Champion Ryan Fox, finished his round with a birdie-birdie finale and a 69. This puts the Englishman nine-under-par, tied with Spain's Manuel Elvira. New Zealand's Fox is part of a quintet of players who are eight-under-par – including McIlroy, England's Ross Fisher, Spain's Ignacio Elvira, and JJ Spaun from the USA.
