Rory and Ruaidhri off to flyers; Harrington settles; Meadow eight back; Coulter out
PLENEUF-VAL-ANDRE, FRANCE - JUNE 23: Ruaidhri McGee of Ireland plays his first shot on the 10th hole during Day One of the Blot Open de Bretagne at Golf Blue-Green Pleneuf-Val Andre on June 23, 2022 in Pleneuf-Val Andre, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
RORY McIlroy insisted he has nothing to prove to LIV Golf or anyone else after scorching into a share of the first round lead with JT Poston with an eight-under 62 in the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
As Derry’s Ruaidhri McGee shot a nine-under 61 in just his second start for two years to lead on the Challenge Tour, an under-the-weather McIlroy continued his hot run of form at TPC River Highlands.
Playing his fourth event in a row in his last start before The Open, the world number two turned in three-under before covering the front nine in a blistering five-under 30 to lead by a shot from Xander Schauffele and Scot Martin Laird.
“It's like the anti-US Open here,” McIlroy said. “It's like US Open rehab coming here. You're like, oh, I can actually make some birdies. This is nice.”
Continuing the form that brought him victory in the Canadian Open and a tie for fifth at Brookline, he insisted his performances have nothing to do with him trying to cast the PGA Tour in a good light after becoming its unofficial spokesman in the LIV Golf battle.
“I don't think so,” McIlroy said. “I just think it so happens that the most protective of the PGA TOUR are the best players in the world right now. I'm not going out to try to prove anything to anyone.
“I'm in a good run of form. I'm playing well. Whether that gives me a little more confidence to speak up on certain issues, maybe. But I'm just going out there trying to play my game and trying to win some more tournaments.”
That said, he's supportive of commissioner Jay Monahan and his plans to revamp the PGA Tour by dramatically increasing purses at eight events and creating a three-event international series in the autumn for the game's top players.
“As [Jay] said, there's only one reason that the guys are going to the other side, and it's because they have an opportunity to make more money. Even though Scottie Scheffler has made $13 million this season and it's only June. There's opportunities to make a lot of money out here.
“But I think some of these changes to the schedule and some of these increases in prize funds, I'm sure it'll have some guys that were thinking about it to think twice and maybe reconsider their decision.”
Seamus Power carded a three-under 69 to share 15th.
It was also an amazing day for Derry native McGee (31) who shot a 62 in his first tour start for two years in the Czech Republic last week and yesterday opening with a nine-under 61 to lead the Blot Open de Bretagne by three shots in Brittany.
“I’m delighted with my round today,” said McGee, who took a break from the game and moved to Florida during the pandemic. “I haven’t been playing competitively for a couple of years now and this is only my second Challenge Tour event of the season.
“I’ve probably played more golf being in Florida than I would have back at home. I’ve been playing every day and sometimes getting in 36 holes which has helped.”
He made two eagles in his first eight holes and believes the tight, links-style course suits his game.
“It was a great feeling to get two eagles,” he said. “The 11th hole was a short par five and I made the most of it. On the 17th I holed out from the fairway with a wedge which was a nice surprise.”
Tramore’s Robin Dawson was 14th after a 67 and Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy 51st on level par but Paul McBride and Gavin Moynihan were 74th after 71s as Tom McKibbin shot 72 and Rowan Lester and John Murphy struggled to 77s.
There was also low scoring at the DP World Tour’s BMW International Open in Munich, where China’s Li Haotong (26) carded a course-record equalling 10-under 62 to take a one-stroke lead at Golfclub München Eichenried.
He was one stroke clear of Daan Huizing of the Netherlands as Niall Kearney shot 72 to share 89th and 75s left Jonathan Caldwell and Cormac Sharvin 136th.
It’s a major week on the LPGA Tour and Jordanstown’s Stephanie Meadow was tied 30rh after opening with a one-over 73 in the KPMG Women’s PGA at a long and demanding Congressional Country Club in Maryland, where Leona Maguire shared 50th after holing little in a two-over 74.
Meadow was still nine shots behind runaway leader In Gee Chun of Korea, who made nine birdies and a bogey in an incredible, eight-under 63 to lead by five strokes from Pornanong Phatlum and Hye-Jin Choi.
Jennifer Chang, Paula Reto were tied fourth after 70s with A Lim Kim, Atala Furue, Hannah Green, Nasa Hataoka, Jennifer Kupcho, Brooke Henderson, IK Kim, Sei Young Kim and defending champion Nelly Korda were tied sixth, seven back after carding 71s in cold and windy conditions.
“Any first round under par is good at a major,” Korda said. “I don't know what golf course In Gee is playing. In Gee is just playing really well, and applause to her.”
In the rain-lashed US Senior Open in Pennsylvania, Pádraig Harrington struggled early on the greens but opened with a level par 71 at Saucon Valley Country Club to lie just four shots behind Mark Hensby and Jay Haas.
The Dubliner (50) mixed four bogeys with two birdie fours in an outward 38 but birdied the 12th and 14th coming home to share 12th as playing partner Darren Clarke bogeyed two of his last three holes to shoot 74.
“I struggled with the pace of the green, so a couple of three-putts on the front nine set me back,” Harrington said. “I found them extremely quick when we started out today. Like I ran several putts well by the hole, so that puts you on edge for the rest of the day.
“But I drove the ball well, and particularly well as I got into the round, late run in the round. So I pretty much broke the back of the back nine with the driving and had a lot of opportunities. I’m happy enough with level par, but it certainly could have been better.
Meanwhile, AIG Irish Women’s Close champion Beth Coulter bowed out of the Women’s Amateur Championship when she fell 2&1 to England’s Jessica Baker in the last 32 at Hunstanton.
Newcastle native Baker (19) went on to beat Germany’s Charlotte Back 3&2 and now faces Italy’s Emilie Alba Paltrinieri as Scotland’s Hannah Darling, Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, Australian Kelsey Bennett, Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist, England’s Rebecca Earl and Spain’s Carla Bernat also made the last eight.
