McIlroy grabs early lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational
NYSE - LSE
| SCS | -1.33% | 13.54 | $ | |
| CMSC | -0.65% | 24.57 | $ | |
| RIO | -1.53% | 62.03 | $ | |
| RBGPF | 1.33% | 61 | $ | |
| NGG | -0.68% | 62.83 | $ | |
| BCE | -1.46% | 26.63 | $ | |
| RELX | 0.51% | 46.81 | $ | |
| JRI | -0.98% | 13.24 | $ | |
| RYCEF | 0.44% | 6.8 | $ | |
| BTI | 1.01% | 37.71 | $ | |
| BCC | -2.76% | 148.41 | $ | |
| CMSD | -0.61% | 24.43 | $ | |
| BP | -1.24% | 28.96 | $ | |
| VOD | -0.56% | 8.86 | $ | |
| GSK | -0.38% | 34.02 | $ | |
| AZN | -0.06% | 66.36 | $ |
McIlroy grabs early lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Rory McIlroy got off to another hot start at Bay Hill on Thursday, firing a first-round 65 to take the lead in the US PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The Northern Ireland star, who won the event in Orlando in 2018 and has top-10 finishes in his last five appearances, had a two-shot lead with afternoon starters still on the course.
"I feel there's a nice flow to this golf course where you can really build a score," McIlroy said.
"You have par-fives, one every few holes, and you've got a couple of scorable par-fours. As long as you don't do anything stupid and you keep it in play, you feel like you can sort of methodically build a score on this golf course.
"I played the par-fives particularly well, and that was the bulk of the score," added McIlroy, who had three birdies and a 41-foot eagle putt to play the four par-fives in five-under.
McIlroy teed off on 10 and missed an eight-foot birdie chance at his opening hole. He was unable to get up and down from off the green and made bogey at 11.
But he followed a two-putt birdie at the par-five 12th by a birdie from the fringe at 13.
He rolled in his 41-foot eagle putt at 16 then birdied 18 to make the turn four-under.
Back-to-back birdies at the third and fourth saw him grab the solo lead and he made his last birdie of the day at the par-five sixth.
McIlroy said iron play was the key to his success on the par-fives.
"I hit a four-iron into 12 and a four-iron into 6. They were probably two of the best long irons I hit in a while. So when I start hitting long irons like that, I know my swing's in a pretty good place. Seeing shots like that certainly gives me some confidence."
Three players -- Beau Hossler, J.J. Spaun and former FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel -- were in the clubhouse on five-under 67.
Spaun had five birdies without a bogey, Hossler bagged six birdies and Horschel had five birdies and an eagle at 16 -- where he landed his second shot 10 feet from the pin.
H.Beehncken--HHA
