Rory McIlroy delivered his longest major birdie run to take the lead in Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Championship.
The four-time Major winner, seeking his first Major victory since the 2014 PGA, played alongside 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods and career Grand Slam-chasing Jordan Spieth before a huge crowd at Southern Hills.
Masters runner-up McIlroy, who has not led after any Major round since his 2014 PGA victory, began off the 10th tee and reeled off four consecutive birdies from the 12th through 15th holes.
The 33-year-old from Northern Ireland reached the turn at four-under, one stroke ahead of American Davis Riley, with 56-year-old John Daly, the 1991 PGA winner, and England’s Justin Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, in a pack on two-under and Woods among those on level par.
McIlroy dropped his approach inches from the cup and birdied the par-four 12th, blasted out of a bunker at the par-five 13th to two feet and sank the birdie putt, then curled in a spectacular 26-foot birdie putt at the par-three 14th to grab a share of the lead.
The world No 7 left his approach nine feet from the hole at the 15th and sank the putt to seize the solo lead.
After finding a fairway bunker at the 16th, McIlroy chipped to two feet and saved par, then saved par at 18 with a clutch six-foot curling putt.
Meanwhile, Woods received huge cheers when he arrived at every tee and spectators surrounded each hole to catch a glimpse of the group.
He blasted his first shot 339 yards off the 10th tee into the fairway, then asked a TV camera crew to back off as they zeroed in on the start of his stroll.
“Mind giving me some breathing space,” Woods said.
Woods drilled his second shot just outside of three feet from the hole and rolled in his birdie putt.
After saving par from a bunker at the par-five 13th, Woods nibbled on a sandwich during a wait at the par-three 14th tee, then hit a 5-iron to 13 feet and sank the birdie putt to reach two-under as a roar erupted from spectators.
But Woods (46) found bunkers at the 15th and 18th and missed 20-foot par putts at each for bogeys that left him level par at the turn.
Three-time Major winner Spieth birdied the 12th hole but fell back with bogeys at 15, 16 and 18.
Spieth, coming off a US PGA Heritage victory last month and a runner-up finish last week in Dallas, would join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan with a triumph at all four Majors if he wins.
“Having won the other three, it’s an elephant in the room for me,” said Spieth.
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