Golf

Rory McIlroy holds Honda Classic lead after a 63

Northern Irishman puts bad memories to rest with powerful performance at PGA National

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot during the first round of The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Photograph: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot during the first round of The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Photograph: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Brian Keogh in Florida
Thu Feb 27 2014 - 22:42

A year after admitting he couldn’t cope with any more pain, Rory McIlroy looks capable of inflicting so much torment on the opposition this season that it remains to be seen who can cope with him.

Twelve months after fleeing PGA National near to tears, so distressed was he by his poor play and a series of off-course headaches, the 24-year-old world number eight opened his Honda Classic challenge with a beautifully crafted seven under par 63 to take the clubhouse lead and strike a little fear into the hearts of his Masters rivals. Looking fitter and stronger than ever, the 2012 Honda Classic champion missed just four fairways — three of them by no more than a few feet — and only five greens on what was the toughest course on the PGA Tour last year outside the majors.

“I played really solid, the key to doing well around here is hitting fairways and greens, it is a real ball-striker’s golf course,” a clearly pleased McIlroy said after his round. “If you can keep your ball in play you can give yourself plenty of birdie chances. That’s the name of the game here and that par save on nine kept that bogey free round alive.”

He finished with back to back birdies for his first bogey free round in 18 trips around PGA National and his second 63 of the year, using the blade just 25 times in total. And while it was a day that started ominously enough with a long approach at the first forcing him to chip from deep rough and hole a 10-footer for par, he made it all look utterly effortless.

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Bar being forced to get up and down from sand right of the short fifth and hole a 10-footer for par at the ninth off his only poor drive, it was generally textbook stuff from the two-time major winner. He birdied the second from 28 feet, chipped close from the apron for another birdie at the par-five third and had chances for further birdies at the fourth and seventh. He then birdied the first three holes on the back nine, holing from eight feet at the 10th before a 45-footer staggered into the hole on the last roll at 11. At the 12th, he blasted a 310-yard drive, flipped a wedge to six feet from 144 yards and holed the putt to grab a share of the lead.

Birdie chances narrowly missed at the 13th and 14th and when he safely negotiated the tough 15th in par, only a disaster through the rest of the Bear Trap holes could deny him an opening round in the mid-60s.

He did even better than that. After comfortably two-putting from 22 feet at the 16th, he hit a 191-yard seven iron 12 feet left of the stick at the 17th and holed the putt with his parents Gerry and Rosie watching from the grandstand.

At the last, he was unlucky to see his 300-yard drive run through the fairway by a few feet, found a greenside trap with a five wood but splashed out and holed the putt.

If McIlroy is looking like the early favourite for the Masters, Tiger Woods’s preparations are up in the air after he hinted after an opening 71 that he may change his pre-Augusta routine for the first time.

Following Wednesday’s pro-am, Woods was asked if there was anything different he was planning to do in preparation for the Masters and said: “Still looking into that, yeah. Still looking to possibly make some changes going in there.”

A lacklustre opening round, featuring three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey six at the second, his 11th, has left a question mark over his form. After missing the cut in his opening event of the year at Torrey Pines and coming home a lowly 41st in Dubai before skipping last week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play, he has broken 70 just once in eight strokeplay rounds.

While he’d normally limit his pre-Masters routine to the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral next week before a final playing appearance at Bay Hill, he didn’t rule out a change of schedule or habits.

“It could be all of the above,” he said.

Darren Clarke had a forgettable day, dropping three shots in his last two holes for a 77 that left him second last in the 144-man field on seven over par. The former Open champion found water with his approach and double-bogeyed the second before dropping another shot at the eighth to turn in 38. He then lurched home in 39 with birdies at the 13th and 15th completely obliterated by bogeys at the 10th, 12th and 18th and a double bogey five at the 19-yard 17th, where he hit his tee shot into the lake.

Graeme McDowell parred his last 10 holes to shoot a level par 70 for a share 61st place. He birdied the first and eighth but double bogey the fourth, where he was bunkered and took four to get up and down.