The West Course wasn’t afraid to take its share of prisoners on a tough, windswept opening day in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth where Rory McIlroy was among those to feel its venom.
The world number two suffered five bogeys in his closing six holes, finishing with a 74, to trail clubhouse leader Mikko Illonen by seven shots before the Finn was overtaken by James Kingston when the Jamaican shot a six-under-par 66.
“Just one of those rounds that got away from me,” lamented McIlroy afterwards, adding: “I just feel at the moment I am not getting as much out of my rounds as I should.”
McIlroy was three under on his round through 12 holes, but laboured coming home, attributing his demise to some “tired” swings, and signed for a 74 that matched playing partner Graeme McDowell after he double-bogeyed the last.
“I don’t play this course well,” admitted McDowell. “It needs to be sort of fiery for me to have a chance. I find it kind of long and a bit of a slog really. It’s a tough course and I knew anything around par today would have been a good effort.
“My ball-striking wasn’t bad and I putted all right but let’s be honest the greens are slow,” he explained. “It’s been tough to get them up to speed. It’s a standard Wentworth performance for me unfortunately. It’s not really my happiest hunting ground.”
McDowell, who who won last week’s World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria, added: “I only made one birdie today and that’s not really good enough. I feel a bit beaten up right now.”
Shane Lowry had no such issues. The Offalyman – in opening with a two-under-par 70 that featured five birdies and three bogeys – reaffirmed his liking for the redesigned Ernie Els layout.
“I had a number of silly bogeys but that’s always going to happen out here on this golf course. I love coming back here. Even the practice round the other day, love playing here and begin here. It’s great. I think the golf course suits me. There is no reason why I can’t go along nicely this week and have a chance come Sunday.”
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley shot a bogey-free opening round of 71, his sole birdie coming on the sixth.
“Any time you play Wentworth on a day like this, cold and windy and don’t have a bogey has got to be a good day. I could have made some more birdies but I can’t complain, it was a good day’s work,” said McGinley.
