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Home Sports BMW Championship: Rory McIlroy grabs share of opening-round lead as Scottie Scheffler makes nightmare start in St Louis | Golf News
BMW Championship: Rory McIlroy grabs share of opening-round lead as Scottie Scheffler makes nightmare start in St Louis | Golf News

August 21, 2026:

BMW Championship: Rory McIlroy grabs share of opening-round lead as Scottie Scheffler makes nightmare start in St Louis | Golf News

Rory McIlroy insists there is still ‘a lot of work to be done’ in his game despite racing into a share of the early lead at the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship.

McIlroy failed to contend at The Open last month and finished 66th of the 68 players who completed last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he said he was ‘far away’ from where he needs to be heading into the rest of the PGA Tour season.

The world No 2 worked with long-time coach Michael Bannon at home in Florida before arriving at Bellerive Country Club for the second FedExCup Playoff, where he fired six birdies in an opening-round 64.

Rory McIlroy made a bogey-free start to the second of three FedExCup Playoffs
Image:
Rory McIlroy made a bogey-free start to the second of three FedExCup Playoffs

McIlroy holed a 15-foot birdie at the fourth and recovered from a wayward drive to take advantage of the par-five eighth, then ended a run of pars by rolling in from eight feet at the par-three 13th.

The Masters champion converted from five feet at the 15th before delivering a birdie-birdie finish to get to six under, lifting him into a share of the clubhouse lead with American quartet Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun and Chris Gotterup.

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“I felt like I’m at least back on the right path of what I’m doing with my game and with my swing,” McIlroy told reporters. “It’s certainly a work in progress. Days like this are encouraging, obviously, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

“For the first round with what I’m trying to do, it went as well as it could have today.”

Woodland set the initial target despite finishing his 64 with a bogey, having made a hole-out eagle on the 11th, while Spaun also dropped a shot at the last to slip back to six under, as Clark rallied with five birdies in his last six holes to share the lead.

Wyndham Clark also made a bogey-free start to the week
Image:
Wyndham Clark also made a bogey-free start to the week

Gotterup threatened the solo lead after a three-birdie burst from the 13th, only to hole a 20-footer to save par at the last to remain in the group on six under, while Matt Fitzpatrick is among the group a shot back after an opening-round 65.

Ludvig Åberg and Alex Fitzpatrick posted opening-round 66s and Bob MacIntyre bounced back from his withdrawal last week to card a two-under 68, with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood both sitting five strokes off the lead.

Pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler won by eight shots last week but is eight strokes back after a nightmare start, where four bogeys in the first seven holes saw him stutter to a two-over 72 and leave him tied-44th of the 50-man field.

Live coverage of the BMW Championship begins on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports+ and 5.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW.

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