Golf:Fortune may well favour the brave, but there's bravery and then there's just foolishness. Rory McIlroy, the US Open winner chasing a second major championship, discovered just that early in his opening round at the US PGA Championship.
The tournament favourite badly jarred his right wrist attempting to play his ball when it came to rest against a tree root on the third hole. He was given an ice pack but was still clearly in pain and needed lengthy treatment by the side of the fifth green before deciding to continue.
The decision to take on such a risky shot was more than just curious, it appeared foolhardy and drew immediate criticism from seasoned pros.
Colin Montgomerie, commentating on Sky Sports, was at a loss to explain what McIlroy had to gain while Jay Townsend, his sparring partner on Twitter over the youngster's course management at the Irish Open, tweeted "I think Rory might have hurt himself by hitting a tree root, smart play??? I'll let you all decide."
The injury to McIlroy, who was due to have a scan in hospital and was on level par with one to play, added to the drama of an opening day at the USPGA Championship which also saw Tiger Woods slump to his worst-ever opening round in a major and Steve Stricker fire a record-equalling 63.
Woods, though, had only 10 of the 156-strong field below him after a seven-over 77 that was his worst first round in any tournament in over a decade. Nobody, least of all the 14-major winner himself, was expecting it after he birdied three of his first five holes and shared the lead, but then came three double bogeys and five bogeys.
Woods went in two lakes and no fewer than 12 bunkers as his game fell apart.
“I’m not down, I’m really angry,” he said after his first major round since finishing fourth at The Masters in April. He missed the last two through injury. “There are a lot of words I could use beyond that.”
Stricker’s seven birdies, in stark contrast, included the 15th and 18th, two of the three that Woods double-bogeyed. He was already seven under after 14 holes, but parred his way in from there, missing a 12-foot chance on the 426-yard ninth and so instead of becoming the first to shoot 62 in majors joined a list of 22 other players to have 63. Greg Norman and Vijay Singh have done it twice.
Stricker led by two from Jerry Kelly and by three from their fellow American Shaun Micheel, winner in 2003.
On the putt to break the record the 44-year-old, who is yet to win a major, said: “Sometimes when you know it’s for something extra special you dig a little deeper, but I can’t complain. Just to hit it on the fairways was my goal. It’s a very difficult course from the bunkers and rough.”
The leading European at that stage was England’s Simon Dyson, three under after 10 and joint fourth, while the youngest of them all — 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero — marked his debut in the event with a two-under 68.
Paul Casey had a 72, Martin Laird 73 like Padraig Harrington, Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher 74s and Jamie Donaldson 77 in his first major round in America.
Late starters Lee Westwood and Justin Rose were two over, Graeme McDowell three over, David Horsey one over and Open champion Darren Clarke, playing with McIlroy, seven over following a triple bogey eight at the 12th.
