Rory McIlroyRoss Kinnaird
Rory McIlroy showed no signs of jet lag with birdies on three of the last five holes to grab a share of the lead with Keegan Bradley on Tuesday after the first round of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda.
McIlroy, the U.S. Open champion coming off a schedule that has seen him criss-cross most of the world including a whirlwind tour of China, matched Bradley, the PGA Championship winner, with a 4-under 67.
Masters champion Charl Schwartzel was seven shots off the pace after an opening round 74 while British Open champion Darren Clark
McIlroy started with birdies at Nos. 4 and 5 before taking bogeys at the par-4 11th and par-3 13th holes. But each time he answered with a birdie on the following hole. His birdie at No. 14 kick starting a stretch that saw him go birdie-birdie-par-birdie-par to close out the round.
Bradley stumbled out of the gate with a bogey before answering it with an eagle and a birdie. Another eagle and two more birdies left him six shots under par at the turn. However, he struggled with bogeys at Nos. 14 and 16 just as McIlroy was heating up.
Schwartzel was in the mix after making the turn in 34 before three straight bogeys at No. 12 and a triple bogey on No. 16 dropped him off the pace.
Clarke, who has admitted to struggling with his motivation ever since winning the Open championship this past summer, fell behind early and struggled to get the ship righted. Three bogeys over his first four holes put him down early and he finished with a triple bogey and a bogey over his final three holes.
The winner will take home $600,000 of the $1.35-million purse for two days of work.