Rory McIlroy made it clear that, despite propelling himself into a share of the early lead at the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship, he still believes there is "a lot of work to be done" on his game. The Northern Irish star, who missed the cut at The Open just weeks earlier and posted a modest 66th‑of‑68 finish at last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, admitted that he feels "far away" from where he wants to be as the season progresses. The world No.
2 has been collaborating closely with his long‑time swing coach Michael Bannon back in Florida, but he arrived at Bellerive Country Club ready to make a statement in the second FedExCup Playoff event. McIlroy opened with a blistering 64, a round that featured six birdies and set the tone for a promising start. On the fourth hole, a 15‑foot putt found the bottom of the cup, giving him a birdie that helped erase the damage from a wayward tee shot on the preceding par‑five.
He continued his momentum on the par‑three 13th, sinking an eight‑foot putt to break a string of pars. The Masters champion then made a short five‑foot birdie on the 15th before closing the round with back‑to‑back birdies, finishing six under par.
That performance vaulted him into a tie for the clubhouse lead alongside an American quartet consisting of Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun and Chris Gotterup. Afterward, McIlroy told the press, "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 round was a positive sign, but the season is long and the margins at the top are razor‑thin. The leaderboard reflected a tightly packed field.
Woodland, who posted a 64 despite a bogey on the final hole, set the initial benchmark after an eagle on the 11th. Spaun briefly slipped back to six under after a late bogey, while Clark rallied with five birdies over his last six holes to join the leaders. Gotterup surged into solo‑lead contention with a three‑birdie stretch beginning at the 13th, only to miss a 20‑footer for birdie on the final hole, settling for par and remaining at six under. Matt Fitzpatrick sat just one shot off the lead after posting a solid 65.
Other notable performances included Ludvig Åberg and Alex Fitzpatrick, both carding 66s, and Bob MacIntyre, who rebounded from a withdrawal the previous week with a two‑under 68. Veterans Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood trailed the leaders by five strokes, showing they remain in the mix. In stark contrast, pre‑tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler, who dominated the FedEx St.
Jude Championship with an eight‑shot victory, endured a nightmare opening round. Four bogeys in his first seven holes forced him into a two‑over 72, dropping him to a tie for 44th out of the 50‑player field—an eight‑stroke deficit from the leaders. Scheffler’s early struggles highlighted how quickly fortunes can shift on a demanding course like Bellerive.
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McIlroy’s resurgence, however modest, offers a glimpse of what could happen if he refines the aspects of his swing and mental approach that he acknowledges still need polishing. The pressure of the FedExCup Playoffs often brings out both the best and the worst in players, and the next rounds will test whether McIlroy can sustain his momentum while others, like Scheffler, attempt to rebound from early setbacks. The tournament’s early leaderboard also illustrates the depth of talent on the PGA Tour. While the American contingent remains strong, international players such as McIlroy and Åberg are proving they can contend on any stage.
As the field heads into the weekend, the battle for the FedExCup points—and ultimately the season‑ending championship—will intensify, with every shot carrying heightened significance. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if McIlroy can convert this encouraging start into a deeper run, and whether Scheffler can recover his form before the playoff window closes. The drama unfolding at Bellerive Country Club serves as a reminder that golf is as much a mental contest as it is a physical one, and that even the most accomplished players must continually adapt, learn, and improve to stay at the pinnacle of the sport.