Rory McIlroy made it clear that, despite catapulting into a share of the early lead at the BMW Championship, he still believes there is a considerable amount of polishing required in his overall game. The Northern Irish star, who entered the tournament with a recent string of disappointing finishes, used his opening round to send a signal that he is back on track, yet he emphasized that the work is far from finished. Just a month ago McIlroy missed the cut at The Open and then finished a dismal 66th out of the 68 competitors who completed the FedEx St.
Jude Championship the week before. After that event he was candid about feeling "far away" from where he needs to be as the PGA Tour season progresses. The disappointment prompted him to double‑down on his preparation, spending extra time with his longtime coach Michael Bannon back in Florida before heading to Bellerive Country Club for the second FedExCup Playoff event.
McIlroy’s preparation paid immediate dividends. He opened with a blistering 64, a round that featured six birdies and demonstrated a renewed confidence in his swing mechanics. One of the highlights was a 15‑foot birdie putt on the fourth hole, which he sank after a wayward tee shot forced him to scramble for par. He then capitalized on the par‑five eighth, turning a poor drive into a birdie opportunity, and later rolled in an eight‑footer on the par‑three 13th to end a string of pars.
The momentum continued on the 15th, where he tapped in a five‑foot putt, and he closed the round with consecutive birdies that lifted him to six under par. That score put McIlroy level with an American quartet consisting of Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun and Chris Gotterup, all of whom were also sitting at six under after the first round. In the post‑round press conference, McIlroy reflected on his performance: "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." The early leaderboard was dynamic.
Woodland, who had opened with a 64 despite a closing bogey, set the initial target after an impressive hole‑out eagle on the 11th. Spaun, after a solid start, dropped a shot on the final hole and slipped back to six under.
Clark, meanwhile, mounted a late surge, birdieing five of his last six holes to join the leaders. Gotterup threatened to break away after a three‑birdie burst beginning at the 13th, but a clutch 20‑footer to save par on the final hole kept him tied at six under. Matt Fitzpatrick, another former major champion, posted a respectable 65 and sat just one shot behind the leaders. Further down the field, Ludvig Åberg and Alex Fitzpatrick each recorded 66s, while Bob MacIntyre rebounded from a withdrawal the previous week with a solid two‑under 68.
Veteran players Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood found themselves five strokes off the lead, illustrating the depth of talent in the field. While McIlroy was celebrating a promising start, the pre‑tournament favorite, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, endured a nightmare opening round. After winning the previous week by eight shots, Scheffler stumbled out of the gates, posting four bogeys in his first seven holes and ultimately carding a two‑over 72.
That score left him tied for 44th out of the 50‑man field, a stark contrast to the dominant performance that had made him the man to beat. The BMW Championship continues to unfold with live coverage beginning Thursday at 3 p.m. on Sky Sports+ and 5:30 p.m.
on Sky Sports Golf. For viewers without a Sky subscription, the tournament can be streamed via NOW with various contract‑free deals. The tournament promises further drama as the leaders attempt to maintain their positions and those who faltered, like Scheffler, look to rebound in the upcoming rounds.
The competition remains wide open, and fans can expect a blend of strategic golf, clutch putting, and the inevitable swings in momentum that define PGA Tour playoff events.