Pettersson leads as Rory impresses

Swedish star Carl off to a fast start, whilst Rory returns to form at last

Ror-ing back to form: McIlroy posted a bogey-free round to sit one adrift of leader Carl Pettersson at Kiawah

Sweden’s Carl Pettersson romped into the lead at the US PGA Championship after opening with a six-under-par 66 – but it was the return to form of Rory McIlroy which was the big talking-point from the first round of the season’s final major at Kiawah Island.

McIlroy, who has finished no better than 25th in the five major championships since he won the US Open in 2011, posted a bogey-free five-under-par round of 67 to join Alexander Noren, Gary Woodland and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in a group of players one shot adrift of Pettersson.

The Northern Irishman could regain the world No.1 spot this weekend by winning the championship and he showed the impressive form that has been missing of late en route to what was only his fourth found in the 60s at a major since the final round of his US Open win at Congressional 14 months ago.

“I think that’s my first bogey-free round in a while and it was a great way to start,” said the 23-year-old. “I got off to a great start. I was three‑under through seven and just took it on from there.  So, I’m very happy with the round, and it’s a great score to build on.”

Like McIlroy, Pettersson was quick out of the traps, with birdies at the first, second and fourth holes getting him to three-under early on in his round. However, the big Swede, whose best finish in a major to date is a tie for sixth at the 2008 US Open, refused to get carried away with his great round, insisting that it had as much to do with favourable conditions as much as his own good play.

He said: “I played well today but it’s a little bit softer so that makes the fairways wider, and the wind really hasn’t blown, and the greens are still a little bit soft. Under the right conditions, if it got really firm and fast and you had the wind, it would be very difficult. I think we’ve seen it about as easy as it can get today. It still is a very good and very tough golf course but I think we had it under some of the easiest conditions you could probably get.”

John Daly, who shot to prominence when he won the 1991 US PGA as a rank outsider, rolled back the years to produce one of his best rounds in a major in recent memory. The ‘Wild Thing’ went round in four-under-par, as did Adam Scott. The Australian is looking to bounce back from the disappointment of blowing a four-shot lead with four holes to play in the Open last month.

Graeme McDowell is also on four-under, whilst Tiger Woods – still searching for his first major win since the 2008 US Open – is a further shot adrift on three-under-par.

Scotland’s two representatives in the championship, Martin Laird and Paul Lawrie, had rounds of one-under and one-over respectively.

English pair Luke Donald and Lee Westwood once again failed to produce their best form when it really matters. World No.1 Donald had a two-over-par 74, whilst Westwood slumped to a 73.

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered