Rory McIlroy, the only 3-time FedEx Cup winner, had one goal for the PGA Tour's postseason: End his year on a high note.
“I think when the bulk of the season has come and gone and you’ve got this opportunity of three weeks to really, I guess, flip the script a little bit or change the narrative and what that season means, I think that’s a motivating factor and part of the reason that I’ve probably played well in the playoffs for the last three years,” he said before the St. Jude Championship.
McIlroy is finishing off a perfectly fine, two-win PGA Tour campaign, though his post-U.S. Open summer has been up-and-down. On theme, McIlroy began his FedEx Cup Playoffs with a solid start at TPC Southwind, only to end up at 9-over par, tied for 49th of 50 golfers.
McIlroy, now fifth in the FedEx Cup points race, raised his game for much of the day at the elevated Castle Springs Golf Club, in Castle Rock, Colorado — the site of the BMW Championship, the second leg of the playoffs.
In typical McIlroy fashion, his round featured its share of quality, electric, forgettable, and bizarre moments — capped by a lightning strike while he was standing on the 18th green.
Here's what happened with Rory McIlroy on Day 1 of the BMW Championship.
Rory McIlroy's eventful BMW round
Playing in front of a packed gallery, alongside Colorado native Wyndham Clark (+1), McIlroy's front nine was relatively uneventful; one birdie (No. 8), no bogeys. He hit every fairway and every green.
Like the stormy elements, though, things started to get unpredictable as the afternoon progressed. The Northern Irishman bogeyed the par-3 11th, but responded with a birdie on N0. 12 — nearly holing out for eagle on his approach.
Momentarily, at least, gods did McIlroy — and the devoted gallery — right. The future Hall of Famer got his highlight-reel eagle two holes later — a chip-in from off the green that sent the patrons into a frenzy (overall, the atmosphere at the first PGA Tour event in Colorado in a decade was raucous, especially for a Thursday).
On No. 15, McIlroy drove into brutal rough, but managed to find the bunker on his second shot. He made par thanks to an exquisite 45-yard wedge that cozied up by the hole.
On the par-5 17th, McIlroy missed another fairway and played his second shot feet from a water hazard. With his Nikes on a small pile of rocks, McIlroy placed his approach onto the back side of the green. He two-putted for par.
Finally, on No. 18, McIlroy's tee shot found the downslope of a fairway bunker, forcing the 35-year-old to lay up from an awkward stance. His iron — his best club all-day; an underrated subplot of his season — saved him again, as his stuck his approach to 19 feet, 8 inches of the hole.
So, there was McIlroy, standing over his ball on the 18th green, hoping to escape to the clubhouse with a 3-under 69.
That's when lightning struck. Literally. The horn blew officially suspending play, as lightning was spotted in the area.
Cruel, but funny.
McIlroy is one of six golfers who were still on the course at the horn, including Nick Dunlap (-5 through 15) and Collin Morikawa (-2 through 17). McIlroy and Clark are slated to tee off at 9:00 a.m. local time on Friday.
2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley — the last player to make it in the field — fired a bogey-free 6-under 66 to seize the lead.
Follow Us
Subscribe
