BMW Championship – round one leaderboard
-6 R McIlroy (NI), W Clark (US), C Gotterup (US), JJ Spaun (US), G Woodland (US); -5 R Hisatsune (Jpn), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -4 A Fitzpatrick (Eng), L Aberg (Swe), M Thorbjornsen (US), Bridgeman (US)
Selected others: -2 R MacIntyre (Sco), A Rai (Eng); -1 T Fleetwood (Eng), J Rose (Eng)
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler had a reversal of fortunes that few could have predicted on Thursday’s opening day of the BMW Championship in St Louis.
Reigning Masters champion McIlroy, who finished 66th out of 70 at last week’s St Jude Championship, was one of five players to post a six-under-par 64 at Bellerive Country Club to take the joint lead.
But world number one Scheffler, who last Sunday won the first of the PGA Tour’s three no cut end-of season play-off events by eight shots, opened with a two-over-par 72.
The American, who had only recorded an over par score once in his past 18 rounds, finished one shot above the worst score of the opening round and joint 44th in the 50-man field.
The strongest parts of his game last week in Memphis – approach play and putting – were his frailties in St Louis. He ranked third-worst in the former and fourth-worst in the latter.
Scheffler tops the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings though and, like McIlroy, is already assured of his place in next week’s Tour Championship finale which will feature just the top 30 players.
McIlroy said a bit of “good work” with his team between events helped him rediscover his form.
Having reached the turn at two under, McIlroy birdied the 13th and then three of the last four holes, sharing his lead with the American quartet of Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun and Chris Gotterup.
McIlroy stated that working with his swing coach Michael Bannon and caddie Harry Diamond helped him restore his touch.
“I felt at least like I got myself back going in the right direction, and what I wanted to do with my swing, but still you never know when you turn up here,” McIlroy told the Golf Channel.
“This golf course sets up a lot better for me than Memphis did last week. You can miss it a little bit off the tee, and the playing corridors are a lot wider, so you can get away with it, which I needed to get away with it a couple of times today.
“But this set-up suits my game a little bit better, and I definitely feel a little bit more comfortable on this golf course than I did last week.”
Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick, who birdied the final two holes, came in at five under, while his brother Alex Fitzpatrick is in a group on four under.
Americans Michael Thorbjornsen and Jacob Bridgeman join him as does Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre closed on two under, having withdrawn from the St Jude Championship before the second round following an opening 12-over 82.
