World No. 1 Rory McIlroy let slip a solid opening round with a sloppy penultimate hole double bogey in the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
McIlroy was well inside the top-10 in the $US 7m event when found water guarding the green at the par three, 17th on route to posting a two under par 70.
The World No. 1 then put his third shot to seven feet before two-putting for a ‘5’.
It had been a solid display by the 2010 Wells Fargo champion posting six earlier birdies but also letting slip his good work with two bogyeys.
McIlroy managed birdies at his first, fifth an seventh holes to make the turn in two under par after he had dropped a shot at the second.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy again the center of attention following his round of 70 on day one of the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship.
He moved to three under par in two-putting the par five 10th hole and while McIlroy dropped a shot at the next he got up-and-down from a bunker at the 14th in draining a five-footer for birdie.
Then at the next, the par five 15th, McIlroy missed the green right but chipped from 30-feet to then sink a six-footer for birdie to move to four under par ahead of his mishap at 17.
“For the most part of the day I have to be satisfied as I felt like I did what I wanted to out there as it’s a golf course where you can take advantage of some of the par fives and the shorter par fours like I did today,” he said.
“It’s that I had a couple of mistakes with one big one on 17 in throwing in a double bogey there.
“But overall it was a strong opening
day and just not the finish I would have liked.”
Supporting McIlroy from behind the ropes was two of his closest mates in Mitchell Tweedie and Ricky McCormack who had joined the four-time Major Champion in playing the Bears Course.
McIlroy’s playing partner Patrick Reed also made a mess of 17 in taking a bogey and letting slip a share of the clubhouse lead enjoyed by fellow American Robert Streb who shot a blistering seven under par 65 and lead Reed by a shot.
