Rory McIlroy opened his BMW PGA Championship campaign at Wentworth with a strong start before a difficult finish left him at 3-under 69. The world No. 2 began quickly and moved to the top of the leaderboard during his opening nine holes.
McIlroy arrived at the event looking to build momentum after a difficult title defense at the Irish Open. He has also been working on his game in recent weeks as he tries to improve his consistency on the course.
The BMW PGA Championship remains an important event in McIlroy’s season. Along with competing for another title, he is also trying to close the gap on Patrick Reed in the Race to Dubai standings.
Rory McIlroy Reveals Five-Month Swing Timeline
Rory McIlroy admitted that fixing the swing habit he has developed could take five or six months.
“I think it’s going to take a long time to get back to where I want to be,” McIlroy said. “I certainly have a playable feeling on the course. It definitely still looks better on the range than what I get out there on the course.”
The four-time major champion has been making technical adjustments during his recent range sessions. He believes those changes need time to become natural during competitive rounds.
“Over time, if I keep to what I’m doing, you know, it will hopefully start to bed in and it will start to feel and look similar on the course than it does on the range,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy made the comments after opening the BMW PGA Championship with a 3-under 69. He reached 5-under through his first 10 holes before several mistakes affected his score.
He found only two of seven fairways and made three bogeys on his closing nine holes. A wayward shot on the eighth also found the water, although he limited the damage with a strong recovery from 86 yards.
Still, McIlroy pointed to positive signs, particularly with his putting.
“I certainly saw some improvements on the greens compared to last week. So, yeah, it’s an encouraging start,” he said.
McIlroy also explained why he expects the process to take time.
“But these things take time. If it’s taking me five or six months to get into this bad habit, it’s probably going to take me, I’d say, a similar time to get back out of it. I’m giving myself time.”
With his swing still a work in progress, McIlroy’s attention now turns to another major challenge as he looks to stay within reach of the season-long prize.
Rory McIlroy Chases Patrick Reed in Race to Dubai
While McIlroy continues to work on his swing, his attention also remains on the Race to Dubai standings.
Patrick Reed opened the BMW PGA Championship with a 4-under 68, leaving him one shot ahead of McIlroy after the opening round. Reed is currently leading the season-long standings as McIlroy attempts to claim a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.
The BMW PGA Championship provides McIlroy with another major opportunity to collect points. He entered the week after Reed gained ground with his performance at the Irish Open, where McIlroy finished tied for 41st.
“I didn’t have the greatest week last week, and Patrick played well, so I dropped a little bit further behind him,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy also produced a 12-under 60 during Wednesday’s pro-am at Wentworth. He played a 10-hole stretch in 11-under, recording nine birdies and an eagle.
“I wish it was on a Thursday and not on a Wednesday,” McIlroy joked.
He said the round still provided confidence ahead of the tournament. The goal now is to carry those positive signs into the competitive rounds.
McIlroy has plenty of golf remaining this season, with his schedule also including events in India and the Middle East. He wants to remain in contention for the Race to Dubai while continuing the work required to get his swing where he wants it to be.
Rory McIlroy Reveals How Long His Problem Could Take to Fix