The Truist Championship is underway, and Rory McIlroy remains the betting favorite despite a steady, but unspectacular, opening round.
McIlroy carded a 1-under 70 in Thursday’s rain-delayed first round at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The round included a stretch of 17 consecutive pars before a late birdie helped him avoid a rare scorecard without one.
The result leaves McIlroy several shots back heading into round 2, but oddsmakers continue to list him as the player to beat heading into the second round.
Rory McIlroy Odds Favor Him Despite Opening Round at Truist Championship
According to FanDuel odds, McIlroy entered the tournament as a +550 favorite, ahead of a competitive field. Players including Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele followed at +950, with Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick also among the top contenders.
The Top 20
Rory McIlroy — +550
Cameron Young — +850
Xander Schauffele — +1200
Matt Fitzpatrick — +1300
Ludvig Åberg — +1500
Tommy Fleetwood — +2200
Si Woo Kim — +2500
Min Woo Lee — +3300
Adam Scott — +3300
Patrick Cantlay — +3300
Rickie Fowler — +3500
Ben Griffin — +3500
Viktor Hovland — +3500
Hideki Matsuyama — +3500
Robert MacIntyre — +3500
Sam Burns — +3500
Nicolai Højgaard — +4000
Chris Gotterup — +4000
Jason Day — +4500
J.J. Spaun — +4500
The event is one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events and comes just one week before the PGA Championship. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is not in the field, leaving McIlroy as the highest-ranked player competing this week.
SportsLine’s predictive model, created by DFS professional Mike McClure, has simulated the tournament 10,000 times and continues to back McIlroy among the top projected finishers. The model has a track record of success, including correctly projecting multiple recent major winners.
Despite the slow start, McIlroy’s position as the betting favorite reflects both his recent form and his history at Quail Hollow, where he has won multiple times.
The Back-to-Back Masters Winner’s Birdie Saves Round, Stays in Contention
McIlroy’s round nearly became one of the few in his career without a birdie. He opened with 17 straight pars, tying a personal record for consistency but leaving little room to climb the leaderboard.
That changed on the par-4 ninth hole, where McIlroy hit a 9-iron approach from the rough over trees to within 15 feet. He converted the putt for his only birdie of the day.
“When I was … walking up to the ball, I was just hoping that the ball was far enough back that I could get it up over that tree,” McIlroy said to PGA.com. “It was a bit of a flier lie. … I’ve always been pretty comfortable trying to launch it high and get it up there. So it probably wasn’t as difficult as what it looked on TV.”
McIlroy said he remained composed throughout the round despite missed opportunities on the greens.
“I wasn’t frustrated, I was hitting good putts,” he said. “Some days they just don’t want to go in.”
He will begin the second round seven strokes behind early leader Matt McCarty, who took advantage of softer course conditions following weather delays.
McIlroy’s performance marked his first start since winning a second consecutive Masters title. He gained strokes off the tee and on approach shots but lost ground around the greens, an area he will likely need to improve to contend over the weekend.
Rory McIlroy Remains Odds-On Favorite at Truist Championship Despite Slow Start