Rory McIlroy made his long-awaited comeback to PGA Tour competition at the Truist Championship in North Carolina, and it turned out to be quite the unusual affair.
The Masters champion hadn't swung a club competitively since claiming his second consecutive green jacket nearly a month ago at Augusta.
His opening round at Quail Hollow proved remarkably steady – perhaps too steady. McIlroy rattled off 17 consecutive pars, coming tantalisingly close to what would have been a first in his PGA Tour career: 18 straight pars.
But a lengthy putt dropped on the final hole, giving him a one-under 70 and sparing him that peculiar distinction.
Rory McIlroy endured a tricky return to the PGA Tour after parring 17 holes
|REUTERS
The moment prompted a brilliant exchange with fellow Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood, who couldn't resist having a bit of fun with the Northern Irishman.
"I would have missed that on purpose," Fleetwood cheekily told McIlroy after watching him sink the birdie putt.
The Englishman doubled down: "You could have missed that on purpose."
McIlroy's response was telling: "Well I was thinking, I can't remember the last time on tour that I had a round of golf that I didn't make a birdie in."
Tommy Fleetwood told Rory McIlroy to miss a shot on purpose just so he could par every hole
|REUTERS
It's clear the 37-year-old wasn't about to let such an unwanted record stand, regardless of how amusing it might have been.
While McIlroy's driving was spot on throughout Thursday's round, his putter simply refused to cooperate.
He squandered birdie opportunities on multiple holes, including the 12th and 13th, where his putts slid wide of the target.
"I wasn't frustrated, I was hitting good putts," McIlroy explained. "Some days they just don't want to go in."
The issue, he reckoned, came down to reading the greens incorrectly – overcompensating on some putts, then underreading others in response.
Still, McIlroy remains upbeat heading into the weekend.
Rory McIlroy has fine history at Quail Hollow, winning four tournaments since 2010
|REUTERS
Quail Hollow holds special significance for him, having won four times at the venue since his first triumph there in 2010.
American Matt McCarty sits atop the leaderboard after a stunning eight-under 63, setting a new record for most feet of putts holed at Quail Hollow in the process.
Kim Sung Jae trails by a single shot at seven-under, though his round was cut short when officials halted play due to poor weather.
Fleetwood enjoyed a cracking start to his day, opening with an eagle on the 10th before adding four birdies to finish at four-under 67.
"The course isn't easy," Fleetwood noted.
"I think if you shoot under par around here it is always a good day."