Rory McIlroy stumbles to a 74

August 21, 2014

Rory McIlroy‘s hopes for a maiden FedEx Cup got off to an inauspicious start at the Ridgewood Country Club, the venue of The Barclays. In the first FedEx Cup playoff event, McIlroy was far from inspiring as he stumbled to an unseemly 74. The Northern Irishman is lying eight behind the leaders, with a mountain to climb, if he is to challenge for honours this weekend.

McIlroy got his misery out of the bag at the par-4 12th hole, just his third on the day after getting his tournament off the blocks from the back nine. McIlroy’s approach at the par-4 12th sailed 137 yards before settling inside a bunker to the right, just in front of the green. Even though he was only 85 feet to the hole, McIlroy needed four shots from there to get up and down as he made a double bogey.

McIlroy followed that with a bogey at the next to slip into further trouble. A five at the par-4 18th meant that McIlroy made the turn in 40, not the kind of score you’d associate with the world No.1, especially in recent times. The 25 year old sought to steady the boat on the front nine, but a birdie at the 5th got swallowed by a bogey at the penultimate hole.

A birdie at the final hole, the ninth, from 32 feet out enabled McIlroy to complete his card at three over 74. That left McIlroy needing plenty from his tank, as the leaders – Cameron Tringale, Hunter Mahan and Charles Howell III – each made a 66 to take charge of the lead at this first event on the FedEx Cup calendar.

Japanese Ryo Ishikawa and Scot Russell Knox both scored 67 to finish the first round in T4, with nearly a third of the players still on the course. Hideki Matsuyama made 68 to join a large group of men at T7, one that included Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler.

Report by Anand Datla

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