Golf

Watch: Rory McIlroy’s club breaks while playing at BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth

The Holywood-born world number three currently sits at the top of the leaderboard

A disappointed Rory McIlroy waves to the crowd after missing out on claiming the Amgen Irish Open title in Newcastle on Sunday. Picture by Sunday
McIlroy plays in his first tournament since agonisingly missing out on his home Open at Royal County Down. PICTURE: Peter Morrisson/PA (Peter Morrison/PA)
By Liam Grimley

THINGS could be going better for world number three Rory McIlroy as he hopes to cast aside memories from Royal County Down last week at the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth.

The Holywood native currently is tied for first with a score of six under par having played through 16 holes in the first round, however, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for him.

McIlroy’s club head flew off on the 12th fairway with McIlroy sitting in 3rd overall on four under.

Fortunately for him, the swing seemed to be largely unaffected and the ball landed just under 10ft away from the pin before McIlroy two-putted his way to birdie and moved up to joint top-spot in the table.

McIlroy hasn’t had much luck lately in tournaments with his last win coming in May when he finished top in the Wells Fargo Championship in Quail Hollow Club, North Carolina.

The most agonising of his near-misses came when he finished within inches of going to a play-off at the Irish Open last week but his putt on the 18th hole just went wide of the hole to give the tournament to 23-year-old Dane Rasmus Hojgaard.

Shane Lowry also seems to be high-flying at this tournament in Surrey, currently placing 6th after playing through 15.