Agency :
Rory McIlroy fired seven birdies and one sensational eagle on the way to an eight-under par 63 and a one-shot lead over Dustin Johnson the WGC-Mexico Championship on Thursday.
Former world number one McIlroy, now ranked eighth in the world as he seeks his first win since the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March, belted a 2-iron 307 yards at Club de Golf Chapultepec’s par-four first-his 10th hole of the day.
It hit the front of the green and threatened the hole, McIlroy eventually making a six-footer for eagle.
“My 3-iron probably carries this week somewhere around 300 yards, and it was playing around 295 to the front, so I knew I needed to take a little off and hit a little cut down there,” McIlroy said. “Nice to start the back nine like that.”
His only miscue on the day was a bogey at the sixth, but he rebounded with a 20-foot putt for birdie at his penultimate hole, the eighth, to lead 2017 champion Johnson by one stroke.
Like all the players in the elite World Golf Championships event, McIlroy is adjusting to playing on a course situated 7,800 feet above sea level, where he said some shots could go 100 yards further than he would normally expect.
Rory McIlroy fired seven birdies and one sensational eagle on the way to an eight-under par 63 and a one-shot lead over Dustin Johnson the WGC-Mexico Championship on Thursday.
Former world number one McIlroy, now ranked eighth in the world as he seeks his first win since the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March, belted a 2-iron 307 yards at Club de Golf Chapultepec’s par-four first-his 10th hole of the day.
It hit the front of the green and threatened the hole, McIlroy eventually making a six-footer for eagle.
“My 3-iron probably carries this week somewhere around 300 yards, and it was playing around 295 to the front, so I knew I needed to take a little off and hit a little cut down there,” McIlroy said. “Nice to start the back nine like that.”
His only miscue on the day was a bogey at the sixth, but he rebounded with a 20-foot putt for birdie at his penultimate hole, the eighth, to lead 2017 champion Johnson by one stroke.
Like all the players in the elite World Golf Championships event, McIlroy is adjusting to playing on a course situated 7,800 feet above sea level, where he said some shots could go 100 yards further than he would normally expect.
