| -6 J Day (Aus); -5 N Taylor (Can), A Hadwin (Can) S Stallings (US); -4 X Schauffele (US); -3 J Herman (US) C Hoffman (US), S Scheffler (US), J Rahm (Spa), W Clark (US) |
| Selected: -1 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), T Hatton (Eng), A Rai (Eng), V Hovland (Nor); E J Thomas (US); +1 T Fleetwood (Eng), R Knox (Sco)*; +2 R McIlroy (NI) C Morikawa (US), C Tarren (Eng), M Wallace (Eng) |
World number one Rory McIlroy said he was “trying to embrace the challenge” of a course he does not enjoy playing after opening with a two-over-par 73 at the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open in Arizona.
Frost delayed play by nearly two hours with 68 players forced to complete round one on Friday at TPC Scottsdale.
“I wouldn’t say that this is a golf course that sets up terribly well for me,” said the Northern Irishman.
“I struggle off the tee and the fairway bunkers are in my landing zones.”
McIlroy, who won last month’s Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, is playing the tournament for just the second time, having made his debut in 2021. He started on the 10th and mixed four bogeys with two birdies in blustery conditions.
He did, however, make an incredible par on the second hole after a wayward drive left his ball a foot from a fence. With trees blocking his view of the green, he gouged out a sensational shot from 128 yards and two-putted from 42 feet.
The Phoenix Open is one of the PGA Tour’s new ‘elevated’ events with a prize fund of $20m (£16.5m), which is more than double last year’s offering. The winner will take home $3.6m, up from $1.5m last year.
Australia’s former world number one Jason Day leads on six under, one ahead of Canadians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin with American Xander Schauffele a stroke further back.
Both Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler have a chance of taking the world number spot off McIlroy this weekend.
World number three Rahm of Spain completed his first round on three under, along with world number two Scheffler.
England’s US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who started on the 10th hole, had three successive birdies from the third hole (his 12th) as he carded a one-under 70, the same score as compatriots Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton.
