Rory McIlroy had to settle for a one-under-par opening round at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio after more tee trouble saw him drop a shot at the last. The Masters champion is playing only his sixth regular PGA Tour event of the year at Muirfield Village, hosted by 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus.
The Northern Irishman, who tied for seventh at last month's PGA Championship, went into the water at the third for a double bogey but responded with three birdies to reach the turn at one under. A hooked tee-shot off the 13th put him in deep rough, but a fine recovery saved par before a superb approach inside two feet at the 14th set up another birdie.
McIlroy sent his second shot at the par-five 15th bouncing into the wall of the Nicklaus Club tent and back down a slope, but chipped to the edge and made par. At the 18th, another wayward tee-shot narrowly missed the water, but he failed to roll in a seven-foot putt to save par, signing for a 71.
“I felt like I played pretty well, for the most part, especially after making that double (bogey) on the third hole, to play the rest of the round in three under was good,” McIlroy said. “It is a tough course, you have to concentrate on every shot. The greens are very firm already, very fast, (you) get yourself above the hole, it is very tricky.”
Tommy Fleetwood shares the lead at five under with Americans Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun, and Ryan Gerard. Canada's Nick Taylor sits at four under, while Justin Rose is a further shot back alongside Sam Burns, and Shane Lowry is at two under. World number one Scottie Scheffler laboured to a one-over round after a tough back nine including a double bogey at the 16th.
