Rory McIlroy failed to hide his drained and distraught looking appearance despite two sensational eagles on the opening day of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
The double Major winner eagled both the seventh and 12th holes in a round of a four under par 68 on a stop-start day affected by two stoppages totaling an hour and 45 minutes due to poor weather.
Rory MCILROY (NIR) during round one of the BMW PGA championship, Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Waters, London.
Picture: Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie
It left the current World No. 10, who ended his round at 8.15pm local time, trailing eight shots behind Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn who established a new West Course record with a blistering 10-under par 62 in the wet and overcast condtions.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry is two shots further back with an eight under par 64.
McIlroy’s score is his second lowest in 17 rounds of the famed West Course and just the fourth occasion in the European Tour’s flagship event the 25-year old has broken 70.
And while delighted in throwing both arms into the air after holing out from 130-yards for eagle at the par four, seventh hole and then later landing a 203-yard 5-iron second shot to just six inches at the par five 12th hole, McIlroy was hardly in any mood to go overboard celebrating.
That was evident when asked by reporters if he had spoken to Sergio Garcia after the Spaniard on the eve of the event offered a comforting shoulder to the Northern Irishman given Garcia had endured two high-profile relationship bust-ups first with Swiss tennis star Martina Hingus and Morgan-Leigh Norman, the daughter to double British Open winning Greg Norman.
And as McIlroy fought to fight off the midges that buzzed around him he responded: “No, I haven’t spoken with Sergio even though I did see him a couple of days ago.
“Also I haven’t turned on my phone for a few days and I’ve given my laptop away. I’m sort of living like I’m in the 70s again, 60s.
“It’s a good thing Sergio offered to speak to me. It’s nice but he hasn’t, but then everyone ‑‑ look, everyone goes through it. It’s part of life and it’s tough. It’s the way it is. You know, people that have come up to me have been very supportive and it’s been nice.”
And McIlroy was quizzed why, after releasing a statement in the breakdown of his impending marriage to Caroline Wozniacki, he went ahead with attending a press conference on the eve of the BMW PGA Championship.
“I guess it was so much ‑‑ it was played out in the media so much that it was probably the best way to do it,” he said.
“It would be ‑‑ it was just a natural thing to do I guess.
“But while I’m sleeping well it’s still tough. It’s a tough week and I’m not really that comfortable with standing here talking about it.”
