LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rory McIlroy showed no sign of letting up. Lee Westwood might just be getting started. Momentum was a big theme Thursday in the opening round of the PGA Championship, and it even applied to Tiger Woods.
Except that Woods kept going the wrong direction.
Westwood followed up a season-best 63 four days ago at Firestone by matching his best score in a major championship. He made nine birdies at Valhalla for a 6-under 65, giving him a share of the lead with Kevin Chappell and Ryan Palmer.
One shot behind was McIlroy, the No. 1 player and overwhelming favorite in the final major of the year. McIlroy, coming off back-to-back wins at the British Open and a World Golf Championship, overcame a wild double bogey on the par-5 10th hole by running off four consecutive birdies. His eagle attempt on the 18th hole narrowly missed. He settled for a 66, a solid start in his bid to become only the seventh player to win the last two majors of the year.
Woods achieved that feat twice, including at Valhalla in 2000. That now seems even longer than 14 years ago.
On a day when nearly half the field shot par or better, Woods opened with a 3-over 74. He hit two tee shots that missed the fairway by some 30 yards, hooked a 3-wood into a creek and hit a spectator with his tee shot on a par 3. His two best putts were for bogey and par.
“It wasn’t very good,” Woods said.
He didn’t look very sharp. In his last competitive round, Woods withdrew after eight holes at Firestone because of another back injury. He said his trainer was able to pop a joint back into place above the sacrum, eliminating the pain. But it apparently did little for the rust.
Woods wasn’t the only player who hit a few wild ones.
Right when McIlroy was building momentum, he hooked his second shot on the par-5 10th hole over a fence and out of bounds, leading to a double bogey. He was more upset about a three-putt bogey on the next hole, but then Boy Wonder bounced back with four consecutive birdies to get right back into the mix.
“Whenever you are confident and you have some momentum on your side, it’s easier to do what I did (Thursday) rather if everything is sort of going against you and you’re struggling for form and you have a patch like that,” he said.
Everything is very much going his way right now. It was his 11th consecutive round under par and his third consecutive round of 66.
Westwood also had a double bogey on his 10th hole that kept his score from being even better. He played the back nine first and hit his tee shot right down the middle at No. 1 and right at the edge of a divot that wasn’t entirely filled with sand.
“It was like caught or plugged,” Westwood said. “So it would have been a perfect 9-iron from the fairway, and just unlucky, caught it a bit heavy.”
He flubbed a chip trying to be too perfect and missed a 4-foot bogey putt. Much like McIlroy, he responded in splendid fashion by closing out his round with four consecutive birdies, finishing with a 30-footer on the ninth hole.
Westwood also had a 65 in the third round at Congressional in the 2011 U.S. Open.
“I’ve played better rounds of golf, but I was really pleased (Thursday),” he said. “I hit a lot of quality iron shots, and it felt like 65 was a fair enough score for the way I played. I got a couple of bad breaks out there, but I rolled a couple of putts in that you probably wouldn’t expect to hole. But that’s just the way it is. A bit of momentum is a wonderful thing.”
The timing was great for Westwood, who is trying to avoid missing the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1995. European captain Paul McGinley told Westwood he wanted to see some form, and Westwood has delivered a 63 at Firestone and a 65 in the opening round of the final major.
Chappell played bogey-free in his 65, while a late bogey was about the only thing that spoiled Palmer’s day. He was the only one to reach 7-under par, with a birdie on the seventh hole, and he allowed himself to think about two more birdies for a 62 and the lowest score ever in a major. He missed a short par putt on No. 8 and that was that.
“I wanted to get to 8 (under) so bad, and it kept driving me,” Palmer said. “So, we’ll take 6 going into (Friday).”
The course generally was gentle and soft, and it showed in the scores.
While it’s daunting to see McIlroy anywhere near the lead the way he’s playing, Valhalla offered good scores to plenty of players.
Jim Furyk and Henrik Stenson were among five players at 66. Kentucky native J.B. Holmes had a 68 despite taking a double bogey on the 13th hole when his drive landed in a divot, and his next shot to the island green didn’t find the island.
Phil Mickelson played alongside Woods and rallied for a 69.
For Woods, it was the second consecutive round in a major when he didn’t beat the Ryder Cup captain, 64-year-old Tom Watson, who had a 1-over 72.
Watson was more interested in how his team was shaping up than his own game. Qualifying ends after the PGA Championship, and Watson will get three picks Sept. 2.
“I’m going to go with horses that are running well,” he said.
After one day, Tiger was stumbling badly. Woods’ first order of business Friday simply was to make the cut.
PGA Championship
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A glance at Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Championship, played at 7,458-yard, par-71 Valhalla Golf Club.
Leading: Kevin Chappell, Ryan Palmer and Lee Westwood were tied at 6-under 65.
Pursuing: Five players were tied at 66, highlighted by three-time major winner Rory McIlroy.
Tracking Tiger: Woods, back in the field after a bad back limited his practice time, shot 3-over 74.
Key Stat: Eight players shot 66 or better.
Noteworthy: Defending champion Jason Dufner (neck) and Matt Kuchar (back) pulled out of the tournament because of injuries. Both were on course to qualify for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, potentially leaving captain Tom Watson with some big shoes to fill.
Quoteworthy: “I didn’t play as well as I wanted to. I didn’t get a putt to the hole. That’s not a good combo,” Woods said.
Key Tee Times: 6:35 a.m. – Martin Kaymer, Germany; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Bubba Watson, United States; 11:25 a.m. – Adam Scott, Australia; Jordan Spieth, United States; Lee Westwood, England; 11:45 a.m. – Padraig Harrington, Ireland; Phil Mickelson, United States; Tiger Woods, United States.
Television: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, TNT.
Associated Press
