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Rory McIlroy will start the second round of the 2023 PGA Championship on Friday, May 19 at 1:36 pm ET. Due to the darkness, the first round was postponed and will resume on Friday morning, followed by the second round. McIlroy completed his 18-hole opening round and will now wait play the second round.
McIlroy began the first round with a par-4 before making two consecutive birdies on the third and fourth holes. He quickly made a bogey but attributed it to a birdie on the eighth hole.
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The 34-year-old shot 71 in the first round of the PGA Championship, with three birdies and four bogeys. The Northern Irish golfer was tied for 27th place after the semi-finished first round, alongside Sam Stevens, Beau Hossler, Sahith Theegala, Collin Morikawa, Ben Taylor, Billy Horschel, Thomas Detry, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Max Homa, Nick Taylor, Mark Hubbard, and Callum Tarren.
While the majority of them had finished the first round, Mickelson, Smith, Detry, Horschel, and Taylor will have to play a few holes from the first round before beginning the second.
Speaking about his performance, McIlroy said in an interview with the media:
“It was massive. I was sort of just hoping to get down in two and make bogey and go to the third hole at four over par. When you walk off the green three over and then you hit a tee shot like that, all of a sudden the pendulum swings or momentum goes the other way and you feel like you’re right back in the tournament. Depending on what happens over the next three days and what I go on to do, I may look back at that shot as being the sort of turning point of the week.”
Rory McIlroy fighting a mystery illness
Rory McIlroy confessed that he has been suffering from an unknown illness. He finished with a score of 71 in the first round of the 2023 PGA Championship.
McIlroy has avoided any distractions since the Masters, where he did not make the cut. He subsequently missed multiple PGA events and was punished by authorities for it. He finally returned to participate in the second major of the year but has struggled in the first round.
The Northern Irishman revealed to the press that he has been dealing with a medial issues. He explained in an interview with the media:
“I’m fighting something. I thought I got a great night’s sleep last night and I looked at my Whoop (personal fitness watch) and I was 22% recovery, and my skin temperature was 3.5 degrees higher than what it’s been. But I actually feel better today than I felt yesterday, so plenty of water and a bit of rest, I’ll be fine.”
Eric Cole was the leader after the first round of the 2023 PGA Championship, with a five-shot deficit. Following that, LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau secures the second spot. Scottie Scheffler finished third with a -3 score, along with Corey Conners and Dustin Johnson.
