RORY MCILROY PUT his rivals on red alert with a brilliant opening round at the $10 million WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday.
The world number seven teed off with a bogey-free 65 at Firestone Country Club, showing the same form that carried him to a share of second place at the Open a fortnight ago.
McIlroy hit the turn in two-under after birdies at 11 and 18, and then birdied the par-five second after a magnificent approach shot.
A 25-foot birdie putt dropped at the next before he completed his haul with a short birdie at the par-three fifth.
McIlroy sits two shots off the early clubhouse lead, held by Kyle Stanley on seven-under par. Patrick Cantlay sits in second place outright on six-under.
Tiger Woods, who has won the Bridgestone an incredible eight times, is three shots back after a four-under par 66 on Thursday.
“I kind of fought out a score today, which is good,” said Woods, whose last tournament title came in the Bridgestone in 2013.
He got off to a strong start, setting himself up for birdie at the 11th with a 135-yard approach to four feet.
At the par-five 16th he rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt and after finding the left rough at the 18th he drained a 50-footer to get to three-under.
Woods, who hit six of 12 fairways in regulation, made up for some trouble off the tee with some solid putting, making an 18-footer for birdie at the par-three fifth and a 25-footer for birdie at the par-three seventh.
“I didn’t really kind of have it with my ball-striking today, but I just hung in there and missed it in the proper spots pretty much all day and made a couple of putts,” Woods said.
“I putted well today, I really did.”
Additional reporting © AFP 2018
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