-8 T Fleetwood (Eng) A Sullivan (Eng), V Hovland (Nor); -seven Mr. Jordan (Eng); -6 S Lowry (Ire), J Scrivener (Aus), F Zanotti (Par), M Armitage (Eng) |
Selected: -5 Law D (Sco); -4 A Ancer (Mex), R McIlroy (NI), B Horschel (USA); -3 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), I Poulter (Eng), T Hatton (Eng);-2 J Rahm (Spa), R Macintyre (Sco) |
Full ranking |
Tommy Fleetwood, Andy Sullivan and Victor Hovland had an eight under par 64 card to share the lead in the opening round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
England’s Fleetwood birdied six on the back nine in a bogey-free round, while compatriot Sullivan dropped a shot on the first.
Hovland ended their bogey-free round with successive birdies on the 16th and 17th and an eagle on the 18th hole.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland opened the scoring with a 68 and is four strokes behind.
Irishman Shane Lowry tied for third on six under, while Scotsman David Law was one stroke further and English US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick started with a three under 69.
Fleetwood, Sullivan and Hovland are one stroke ahead of England’s Matthew Jordan who birdied three times in succession and bogeyed twice en route to a 65.
McIlroy, who finished second at the Masters in April and finished in the top 10 at all four golf majors this year, got off to a slow start with four straight pars as heavy downpours made conditions tricky.
He birdied the fifth and sixth before dropping a shot in the eighth and then birdied three on the back nine.
Of those who signed up for the LIV Tour, Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger was the highest placed on four under.