Rory McIlroy knows what it takes to win at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and on Thursday, he dominated the par fives to take the first round lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
McIlroy had three birdies and an eagle on the short 16th. In all, he had a half-dozen birdies, that eagle and a single bogey on his card for an attention-getting seven-under par 65.
McIlroy got off in the morning wave and found the that greens at Bay Hill were already getting firm. “I was surprised how firm the greens were already,” said McIlroy, who knows the game plan for success at Bay Hill as he won the title in 2018.
“As long as you don’t do anything stupid and methodically play — you can build a good score here,” McIlroy explained. “As the greens get firmer, it will put a premium on fairways and greens. I can play within myself.”
McIlroy did some work with Brad Faxon before he played in the Middle East earlier this season. He found he was getting a bit too close to the ball in his putting stance. But he had no problems with the flat stick on day one.
He was two shots better than the group in at 67 — Billy Horschel, J.J. Spaun and Beau Hossler.
World number one Jon Rahm had a less than successful first round. Rahm struggled most of the day and missed an eight-inch par putt at the seventh hole when his putter stubbed the ground before he made contact with the ball and as a result, the ball moved just a couple inches on what should have been an easy par tap-in. “It was very odd,” Rahm said. “I tried to stop the stroke.”
Rahm finished with an even par 72 and was tied for 51st.
Viktor Hovland put himself in contention with an opening 69.
Seiffert, Kim, Tied For Lead At Puerto Rico Open:
Chase Seiffert and Michael Kim set the early pace down in Puerto Rico at the opposite field event — the Puerto Rico Open.
Both shot seven-under par 65s on Thursday at the Grand Reserve Club in Rio Grande.
Seiffert is looking for his first Tour win. Conditions were breezy but Seiffert still managed to make eight birdies against just a single bogey.
“Absolutely stoked,” Seiffert said after his round. “We have wonderful conditions. I came out of the gates really putting well. That got my round off to a nice start. It seemed like every time I missed the green, it was an easy up-and-down, so — just kind of stress-free golf.”
Life on Tour has been a huge struggle for Kim, who has fallen to 1,030 in the world rankings. After he won the 2018 John Deere Classic, he’s made the cut only 15 times in 75 starts.
Ryan Brehm was a stroke back, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Aaron Baddeley shot 67.
