McIlroy loses a club head and the lead in eventful 67 in first round at the BMW PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy lost the club head on his 9-iron and then lost the lead by going out of bounds on the last hole in shooting an eventful 5-under 67 in the first round of the BMW PGA Championship
VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Rory McIlroy lost the club head on his 9-iron and then lost a chance to take the first-round lead by going out of bounds on the last hole in an eventful 5-under 67 at the BMW PGA Championship on Thursday.
The No. 3-ranked McIlroy was two strokes off the lead held by No. 363-ranked Matthew Baldwin in the flagship event on the European tour, having bounced back well from the pain of being denied victory at his home Irish Open last week.
McIlroy had already produced a rare back-handed putt next to a water hazard to help salvage a par at No. 8 by the time he overcame a bizarre incident on the par-5 No. 12, which saw the head of his 9-iron detach from the shaft and fly down the fairway after McIlroy took his second shot.
The Northern Irishman said he didn’t even see the ball reach the green and settle inside 7 feet from the pin to set up one of his seven birdies.
