Rory McIlroy opened the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth with a 3-under 69, leaving him three shots behind co-leaders Aaron Rai and Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren. McIlroy made five birdies in his first nine holes but could not build on that fast start, finishing level with the group at 3 under after 18 holes.
His round included a notable rules situation on the par-3 14th. McIlroy’s tee shot finished on a narrow strip of grass between a boundary fence and a cart path, with the local rules stating that players were not entitled to relief from the fencing. However, a tournament official determined that the cart path was an immovable obstruction and that McIlroy had a reasonable shot from the area. He was therefore granted free relief and allowed to drop on the green side of the path, no nearer the hole.
McIlroy chipped to roughly five feet after the drop and holed the putt for par, salvaging a score that initially appeared likely to worsen. The DP World Tour later explained that the narrow strip of grass had effectively been tied into the cart path and formed part of the immovable obstruction. “I see encouraging signs in my game,” McIlroy said afterward, adding that he was focused on making his swing feels more natural and becoming more instinctive on the course.
At the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville, Brendan Valdes also made his return to PGA Tour competition through a sponsor exemption. Valdes began from the 10th tee, making par at his opening hole, a bogey at the 11th and a birdie at the 13th as play continued at the North Carolina event. The tournament’s second-round groupings were scheduled after Thursday’s opening action, with the leaderboard still developing.