Rory McIlroy made it clear that, despite climbing into a share of the early lead at the BMW Championship on the PGA Tour, he still believes there is "a lot of work to be done" on his game. The Northern Irish star, who finished a disappointing 66th out of the 68 players who completed the FedEx St. Jude Championship the week before, said he feels far from where he wants to be as the season progresses.
McIlroy, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, has been working closely with his longtime coach Michael Bannon back in Florida before traveling to Bellerive Country Club for the second FedExCup Playoff event. In the opening round he carded an impressive 64, punctuated by six birdies that helped him jump into a tie for the clubhouse lead. The round began with a 15‑foot birdie putt on the fourth hole, a shot that set the tone for his day.
After a wayward tee shot on the par‑five eighth, he recovered brilliantly and secured another birdie. He then broke a string of pars by sinking an eight‑foot putt on the par‑three 13th, and later holed a five‑foot putt on the 15th.
He finished the round with a birdie‑birdie finish on the final two holes, moving his score to six under par and joining an American quartet—Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun and Chris Gotterup—in a four‑way tie for the lead. When speaking to the press after his round, McIlroy said, "I felt like I'm at least back on the right path of what I'm doing with my game and with my swing. It's certainly a work in progress. Days like this are encouraging, obviously, but there's still a lot of work to be done.
For the first round with what I'm trying to do, it went as well as it could have today." His comments underscored a realistic optimism: the performance was a positive sign, but he remains focused on the long‑term improvements needed to contend consistently. The leaderboard after round one showed a tightly packed field. Gary Woodland, despite carding a bogey on his final hole, set the early benchmark after an eagle on the 11th.
JJ Spaun also slipped back to six under after a late bogey, while Wyndham Clark rallied with five birdies in his last six holes to share the top spot. Chris Gotterup briefly threatened to take the solo lead after a three‑birdie surge starting at the 13th, but a clutch 20‑footer to save par on the 18th left him tied at six under. Matt Fitzpatrick sat just one shot behind the leaders after posting a 65, while Ludvig Åberg and Alex Fitzpatrick each recorded 66s. Bob MacIntyre, who withdrew from the previous tournament, bounced back with a two‑under 68.
Veteran players Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood found themselves five strokes off the lead, indicating a wide spread of form across the field. Pre‑tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler, who dominated the FedEx St.
Jude Championship with an eight‑stroke victory, endured a nightmare start at Bellerive. Four bogeys in his first seven holes produced a two‑over 72, dropping him to a tie for 44th out of 50 competitors and leaving him eight strokes behind the leaders. Scheffler’s early struggles highlighted the unpredictable nature of playoff golf, where even the most dominant players can stumble.
The BMW Championship continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning Thursday at 3 pm on Sky Sports+ and 5:30 pm on Sky Sports Golf. For viewers without a Sky subscription, streaming options are available through NOW with no contract required.
Overall, McIlroy’s round demonstrated that he can still produce low scores when his swing feels right, but his own words remind fans and analysts alike that consistency will require ongoing refinement. The tournament’s early leaderboard suggests a competitive showdown, with several players positioned to challenge for the title as the FedExCup Playoffs progress. The next rounds will test whether McIlroy can maintain his momentum, whether Scheffler can recover from his rough start, and which of the emerging contenders can seize the opportunity to climb the rankings.