McIlroy shot 42 on the back-nine to leave him more than 10 shots back.
Poor Back Nine Costs McIlroy In Round One
Much like the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Rory McIlroy started this week at the BMW PGA Championship as the bookies' favourite.
After three wins 2019 and after collecting the PGA Tour Player of the Year award, he was competing at Wentworth with huge confidence, however he made a start that was similar to the first round at the final Major of the year.
McIlroy played the opening few holes well, including a quality up-and-down on the 3rd to stay level par. He then eagled the fourth and birdied the fifth to get himself high up the leaderboard.
The wheels started to come off around the turn though as he had three bogeys in a row on 8, 9 and 10 which saw him retreat back to level par. But the worst was yet to come as he was clearly struggling with his swing.
A birdie on the par-5 12th got him into red figures and with two par-5s to finish he must have been licking his chops at posting a good score.
But he played the remaining six holes in five over par to shoot 42 on the back nine and post four-over.
This leaves him at least 11 shots behind Matt Wallace who shot seven-under in the group behind.
Admittedly there are plenty of players left to get out onto the course so the deficit facing McIlroy could get even larger.
No doubt he will be looking to show the same kind of resilience he played with at Portrush where he shot a mesmeric 65 the day after shooting 79.
Unfortunately he missed the cut by one stroke so he won't want to make the same mistake at the European Tour's flagship event.
Expand Rory McIlroy Reveals Why He Re-Joined European Tour
Rory McIlroy Reveals Why He Re-Joined European Tour
The four-time Major winner explained why he re-joined…
Expand Who is Rory McIlroy’s Wife?
Who is Rory McIlroy's wife? Here, we get…
Expand Rory McIlroy What’s In The Bag?
Rory McIlroy What’s In The Bag?
See the clubs Rory McIlroy currently has in…
Don't forget to follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more golf news from the BMW PGA Championship.
-
LPGA Tour Announces 2025 ScheduleThe 2025 LPGA Tour season will have two new events including a visit to Mexico, while the biennial International Crown returns
-
How Adam Scott Helped Shape The Design Of The Two New L.A.B. Golf PuttersToday marks the exciting release of the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1 collection. Let’s take a closer look at what golfers can expect…
-
Rory McIlroy Gym Routine... Revealed!In this Rory McIlroy Gym Routine article we discover how the Northern Irishman keeps himself so fit
-
What Is Tiger Woods' Net Worth?Tiger Woods became the first billion dollar athlete in 2009
-
The Masters Live Stream: How To Watch The MajorHere are all the details on how you can watch the Major wherever you are in the world.
-
Five Outsiders Who Could Win The MastersWe consider five players who might surprise the favourites and claim victory at Augusta
-
Who Is Tiger Woods’ Girlfriend?Find out more on who the American professional golfer is going out with here.
-
Bermuda Championship Golf Betting Tips 2021Who is the GM Tipster backing to win this week in Bermuda?
-
Jeff Winther Claims Maiden European Tour TitleJeff Winther Claims Maiden European Tour Title
-
Fredrik Andersson Hed Passes Away Following Battle With CancerFredrik Andersson Hed Passes Away Following Battle With Cancer
