Rory McIlroy is back in a decent groove. Photo: Luke Walker/Gallo Images.
Rory McIlroy had a couple of hiccoughs on his back nine but was otherwise his usual classy self as he shot a 67 to finish his first round of the BMW South African Open one stroke behind early leader Trevor Fisher Jnr at Glendower Golf Club on Thursday.
McIlroy began early in the fifth group off the 10th tee and parred his first four holes before making his move with four successive birdies from the 14th.
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He then moved to five-under-par with a birdie on the par-five second hole, but briefly stumbled with successive bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes, before finishing on five-under with birdies on the par-three sixth and the par-five eighth hole.
“It was a good first round of 2017 and I’m quite pleased with that, although I was a bit scrappy on the last few holes. I hit a lot of nice shots today, some irons like my tee shot to a couple of feet on the par-three 14th and some very good drives. I just need to try and eradicate the bad shots,” McIlroy said after his round.
McIlroy was followed by a huge crowd and it was certainly worth the entrance fee for those spectators as the world number two unleashed some monstrous drives, including two spectacular efforts of more than 350 metres on the 15th and first holes, and deft touches with his short game.
Fisher Jnr went off half-an-hour before McIlroy, also starting on the 10th and getting six birdies in seven holes from the 12th to ignite his round.
He and fellow South Africans Thomas Aiken (67) and Dean Burmester (67) were kraaled around the Northern Irish superstar.
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