Promising start for McIlroy at Torrey Pines
Rory McIlroy. USGA/JD Cuban
Rory McIlroy cruised to an effortless-looking opening 67 in his bid to win the Farmers Insurance Open and return to world number one.
The Holywood star showed few signs of rust after a two-month break and rattled in seven birdies against just two bogeys on the North Course at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
"It's nice to play the North Course first off because the South if a little bit tougher," said McIlroy as Jon Rahm shot 68 and Tiger Woods posted a workman-like 69 in the group behind. "
It's a little more generous off the tee. You can get away with a little bit more so 67 was a nice start. I drove the ball really well and if I can drive the ball like that the rest of the week and the rest of the year, I'd be pretty happy.”
He finished the day tied for third with Ben An, Joel Dahmen, Kevin Tway, Xinjun Zhang, Matthew NeSmith, Bubba Watson and Sungjae Im, just one stroke behind Keegan Bradley (North) and Korn Ferry Tour graduate Sebastian Cappelen (29) from Denmark, who shot his six-under 66 on the more testing South Course.
It might have been even better for McIlroy, who missed three putts inside 10 feet, two of them for birdie, and only parred the 322-yard seventh (his 16th) after his booming drive caromed off a cart path.
Starting on the back nine, the Co Down man rolled in a ten-footer for an opening birdie four, bogeyed the 13th after fluffing a pitch from greenside rough but birdied the 14th, 17th and 18th to turn in 33.
He made another birdie at the second, but after misreading a four-footer for par at the 241-yard third, he birdied the par-five fifth and made up for missed chances inside 10 feet at the fifth and sixth with a superb pitch and putt birdie from the rough left of the ninth.
He added: "I putted okay and held out well. My speed was not what I wanted it to be but overall for my first round back for the new year, it was pretty good."
