By Frank Pingue
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Rory McIlroy’s record at Quail Hollow is beyond impressive but that had no bearing on Thursday in the first round of the PGA Championship where very little went his way in his first major start since completing the career Grand Slam.
Much had been made about McIlroy’s chances this week given his past success at Quail Hollow and because he ended a near 11-year drought at majors with a Masters win last month that freed him from the burden of chasing the career Grand Slam.
But McIlroy spent much of his day trying to salvage poor shots off the tee — hitting just four of 14 fairways — and carded a three-over-par 74 that included a double-bogey, three bogeys and two birdies.
When it was all done, McIlroy did not address the media and planned to head to the driving range to work on his game ahead Friday’s second round where he is in danger of missing the cut at a PGA Championship for the first time since 2016.
The 36-year-old McIlroy, who began his day on the back nine, had an uneven start as he mixed two birdies with a bogey by the time he reached the par-four 16th that marks the start of a water-lined three-hole stretch known as the Green Mile.
McIlroy’s tee shot at the 16th was heading towards the water on the left before coming to rest in thick rough and from where he was barely able to advance his ball with his next swing en route to a double-bogey.
He nearly chipped in for birdie at the par-three 17th where his tee shot rolled off the green and stopped just short of the slope that leads right into the water.
McIlroy caught another break at the 18th where his tee shot settled in thick rough about two club lengths from the winding creek that runs along the entire length of the hole.
The five-times major winner was then left shaking his head after a bogey at the par-four first hole where he failed to get up and down from a green side bunker for his second bogey.
He capped his day in disappointing fashion with a closing bogey after missing another fairway, which left him up against a tree for his second shot and unable to make a full swing.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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