Rory McIlroy shoots four-over par to trail leaders at FedExCup Playoffs
Rory McIlroy sits nine shots off the lead after enduring a disastrous finish to his opening round at the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis.
The Northern Irishman shot a four-over-par 74 in the first of three FedExCup Playoff events.
He was level par heading into the final three holes before consecutive bogeys derailed his afternoon at TPC Southwind.
A double bogey at the 18th hole, following a tee shot plunged into the water, capped a frustrating return to action.
Spieth and Thorbjornsen set early pace
The four-time major winner was playing his first competitive golf since finishing tied for 40th at The Open at Royal Birkdale last month.
His late collapse left him far behind American duo Jordan Spieth and Michael Thorbjornsen, who lead the field following impressive opening rounds of 65.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood trails the leaders by a single shot after opening his tournament with a composed 66.
The European Ryder Cup star’s round was highlighted by a spectacular chip-in for eagle at the par-five third hole.
“Hit it great off the tee today. Still my iron play was iffy, but I did a good job of managing it for the most part,” Fleetwood said.
Scheffler solid as MacIntyre struggles
World number one Scottie Scheffler played alongside McIlroy in the marquee group and delivered a solid two-under-par 68.
“I felt like I hit a lot of quality shots with my irons. I did a good job of being patient and not trying to force it too much,” Scheffler noted.
European stalwarts Ludvig Aberg and Sepp Straka joined the reigning Masters champion on two under par.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre endured a torrid Thursday in Tennessee, carding a 12-over-par 82 to sit firmly at the bottom of the leaderboard.
No cut offers McIlroy weekend hope
Memphis is hosting the first leg of the PGA Tour’s lucrative postseason, where only the top 50 in the season standings will progress to the BMW Championship.
The top 30 players will then advance to the season-ending Tour Championship.
Entering the week ranked 12th out of the 70-player field, McIlroy’s progression to the next stage is already secure regardless of his final position this week.
The absence of a halfway cut in Memphis also guarantees the former world number one ample time to climb the leaderboard over the weekend.