Crooked Stick, Carmel, IN … Rory McIlroy will return to the Crooked Stick course early Friday morning, and host venue for this week’s BMW Championship, with one thought in mind and that is to capitalise on the remaining two par fives.

McIlroy had managed four birdies and dropped just one shot through the 10 holes he had completed when PGA Tour officials sounded a siren to signal a halt to play just proir to 8pm local time.

After a 3 hour and 15 minute delay Rory McIlroy finally tees up at 5.23pm local time on day one of the BMW Championship.   Note – the balls in the foreground at from the very nearby practice putting green here at Crooked Stick.

The four-time Major winner was at three under par and trailing just four shots behind American Roberto Castro with reigning US Open champion, Dustin Johnson at five under par and after having found the water with his drive down the last on route to bogey.

McIlroy headed straight for the locker room after his round grabbing a few shirts on coat-hangers before being met by his fiancee and with the pair headed straight to their BMW courtesy car.

“Three under par and it’s a good start after a pretty good front nine,” he said.

Rory McIlroy carefully studying a putt during his opening round.

“Clearly after all the rain we had the conditions were ideal for scoring so the course was soft and there wasn’t much wind so you are going to see those scores out there.

“So with eight holes to play and two of those being par 5s I will be looking to capitalise on those holes, so that will be the goal when we get back here in the morning.”

McIlroy had been due to tee-up at 1.53pm local time but a severe electrical storm halted play at 1.27pm leaving him and 14 others still to tee-up.

It was not to 5pm local time that played resumed and with McIlroy and playing partners, Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth out off the first tee at 5.23pm.