Rory McIlroy made it clear that, despite soaring into a share of the early lead at the BMW Championship, he still believes there is a substantial amount of work left to perfect his game. The Northern Irish star, who missed the cut at The Open just a month ago and finished a disappointing 66th out of the 68 competitors who completed last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, has been candid about feeling "far away" from the level he aspires to maintain throughout the remainder of the PGA Tour season.
The world number two spent the off‑season honing his craft with longtime mentor Michael Bannon in Florida before heading to Bellerive Country Club for the second FedExCup Playoff event. McIlroy’s preparation paid off immediately as he opened with a blistering 64, punctuated by six birdies that set the tone for a remarkable first round.
His round began with a 15‑foot birdie putt on the fourth hole, a shot that helped him recover from a wayward tee shot and capitalize on the par‑five eighth. He continued his momentum on the par‑three 13th, sinking an eight‑foot putt to break a string of pars.
The Masters champion then displayed his short‑game prowess on the 15th, holing a five‑foot putt before closing the round with a back‑to‑back birdie finish that left him six under par. This performance vaulted him into a tie for the clubhouse lead alongside an American quartet composed of Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun and Chris Gotterup. When fielded with reporters after his round, McIlroy emphasized that he felt he was finally back on the right trajectory with both his swing and overall game plan.
"It’s certainly a work in progress," he said. "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 remarks underscored a realistic optimism: while the round was a confidence‑boosting step forward, the journey to consistency across the season remains a work‑in‑progress.
The leaderboard after round one reflected a tightly packed field. Gary Woodland set an early benchmark despite carding a bogey on his final hole; his round had featured an impressive hole‑out eagle on the 11th that kept him in contention.
JJ Spaun, who briefly flirted with the solo lead after a three‑birdie surge beginning at the 13th, ultimately dropped a shot on the closing hole, settling at six under. Wyndham Clark rallied impressively, firing five birdies in his last six holes to join the leaders.
Chris Gotterup also made a strong showing, threatening to break away after a three‑birdie stretch that began on the 13th. He saved par on the final hole with a clutch 20‑footer, preserving his place among the six‑under cluster. Matt Fitzpatrick, another notable name, posted a solid 65 and now sits a single shot behind the leaders, while Ludvig Åberg and Alex Fitzpatrick each recorded 66s to remain within striking distance. Bob MacIntyre, who had withdrawn from the previous tournament, rebounded with a two‑under 68, demonstrating resilience after a week of disappointment.
Meanwhile, seasoned veterans Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood found themselves five strokes off the lead, indicating that the competition remains wide open and that a single round can dramatically reshape the leaderboard. In stark contrast to McIlroy’s surge, pre‑tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler endured a nightmare start to his round. After dominating the previous event with an eight‑shot victory, Scheffler stumbled early, posting four bogeys in his first seven holes. The string of mistakes pushed him to a two‑over 72, leaving him tied for 44th out of the 50‑man field and a full eight strokes behind the leaders.
Scheffler’s early struggles serve as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in a high‑stakes playoff environment. The BMW Championship will continue its live coverage on Thursday, beginning at 3 p.m. on Sky Sports+ and at 5:30 p.m.
on Sky Sports Golf. For viewers without a Sky subscription, recent Sky Sports deals or the NOW streaming service offer contract‑free options to watch the action. Overall, McIlroy’s performance signals a potential resurgence for the Northern Irish star as he seeks to regain the form that has made him a perennial contender on the PGA Tour.
While he acknowledges the need for continued refinement, his six‑under opening round demonstrates that the tools are still there. The field remains tightly packed, with multiple players within a few strokes of the lead, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the playoff event. As the tournament progresses, fans will be watching closely to see whether McIlroy can maintain his momentum, whether Scheffler can recover from his early setbacks, and which of the many talented competitors will ultimately seize the championship title.