Rory McIlroy made it clear that, despite catapulting himself into a share of the early lead at the BMW Championship, he still believes there is a substantial amount of work left to do on his game. The Northern Irish star, who finished a disappointing 66th out of the 68 competitors who completed the FedEx St. Jude Championship the week before, said he feels "far away" from where he wants to be as the PGA Tour season progresses. McIlroy, currently ranked second in the world, spent his pre‑tournament preparation working with his longtime mentor Michael Bannon at their home base in Florida.
Upon arriving at Bellerive Country Club for the second FedExCup Playoff event, he opened with a blistering 64, punctuated by six birdies that signaled a potential resurgence. The opening round saw McIlroy showcase a blend of precision and resilience. He holed a 15‑foot birdie putt on the fourth hole, then recovered from a wayward tee shot on the par‑five eighth to turn it into a scoring opportunity. A short‑game flourish followed on the par‑three 13th, where he sank an eight‑foot putt to break a string of pars.
He continued his momentum on the 15th, converting a five‑foot putt, and capped the round with a pair of birdies that brought his score to six under par. This performance placed him in a tie for the clubhouse lead alongside an American quartet consisting of Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun and Chris Gotterup. Speaking to the media after his round, McIlroy expressed cautious optimism. "I felt like I'm at least back on the right path of what I'm doing with my game and with my swing," he said.
"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 leaderboard at Bellerive quickly evolved. Woodland posted the initial benchmark despite finishing his round with a bogey after an exhilarating hole‑out eagle on the 11th. Spaun slipped back to six under after a late bogey, while Clark surged with five birdies in his final six holes to join the leaders. Gotterup threatened to take solo command after a three‑birdie burst beginning at the 13th, but a clutch 20‑footer saved par on the final hole, leaving him tied at six under.
Matt Fitzpatrick, who carded a 65, sat just one shot off the lead, while Ludvig Åberg and Alex Fitzpatrick each recorded 66s. Bob MacIntyre, returning after a withdrawal the previous week, posted a two‑under 68, and veterans Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood found themselves five strokes back. Meanwhile, pre‑tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler, who dominated the FedEx St.
Jude Championship with an eight‑shot victory, endured a starkly different start at the BMW Championship. Four bogeys in his first seven holes resulted in a two‑over 72, dropping him to a tie for 44th out of the 50‑man field, a full eight strokes behind the leaders. Scheffler’s early struggles underscored the unpredictable nature of playoff golf, where even the most dominant players can encounter sudden setbacks.
The BMW Championship, now in its second FedExCup Playoff round, continues to draw significant attention from fans worldwide. Live coverage begins Thursday at 3 p.m.
on Sky Sports+ and at 5:30 p.m. on Sky Sports Golf. For viewers without a Sky subscription, streaming options are available through NOW with flexible, contract‑free deals. Overall, McIlroy’s resurgence offers a promising narrative for his supporters, but his own admission that “there’s still a lot of work to be done” serves as a reminder that elite golf is a marathon, not a sprint.
The tournament’s evolving leaderboard, coupled with Scheffler’s unexpected difficulties, sets the stage for a compelling battle over the remaining rounds, where consistency, mental fortitude, and the ability to adapt will determine who ultimately claims the coveted FedExCup points and the prestige of winning one of golf’s most demanding playoff events.