Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

PGA

Rory McIlroy jumps into lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational

fired a 7-under-par 65 on Thursday to surge to the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla.

The Northern Irishman carded an eagle, six birdies and a bogey to gain a two-stroke lead. It marked the latest success for McIlroy at Bay Hill, where he has posted five straight top-10 finishes and celebrated a tourney win in 2018.

“I think you turn up at any golf course where you’ve had success, and automatically you’re going to have some confidence coming in,” McIlroy said. “I’ve shot some really nice scores here. … I feel there’s a nice flow to this golf course where you can really build a score.”

That included the course’s four par-5 holes, in which McIlroy reeled off a trio of birdies and an eagle on #16. He hit a 328-yard drive, put his second shot on the green and drained a 41-foot putt for the eagle.

McIlroy said when it came to success on the par-5s, his second shots were more important than his drives.

“When I start hitting long irons like that, I know my swing’s in a pretty good place,” he said. “Seeing shots like that certainly gives me some confidence.”

Three golfers are tied for second place, two shots back of McIlroy. Beau Hossler, J.J. Spaun and Billy Horschel each shot a 5-under 67 in the opening round.

Horschel said the course required accuracy in the fairways because of particularly challenging rough. He was happy with what he described as a “smart” round with his caddie’s assistance.

“If you miss the fairway here, it’s sort of, you’re gambling with your money a little bit to see what kind of lie you get,” he said.

A half-dozen golfers shot a 4-under 66 to stay within three strokes of McIlroy. The group tied for fifth place includes Will Zalatoris, Charles Howell III, Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, Sungjae Im of South Korea, Australian Adam Scott and Englishman Ian Poulter.

The tournament’s defending champion, Bryson DeChambeau, is sitting out this year’s competition as he continues to recover from wrist and hip injuries.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

PlayAction Podcast

PlayAction Pods

PlayAction Pods

@TheColbyD from The College Basketball Experience to give out their first four picks aka college basketball best bets for Tuesday, March 14th, 2023, and...

PlayAction Pods

The Golf Gambling Podcast gives out their favorite picks and predictions for the 2023 Genesis Invitational

PGA

Geoff Fienberg & Andy Lack are back to give their PGA Tour picks and Golf Bets for the 2023 Genesis Invitational!

NFL

Who will be named Super Bowl MVP? Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are favorites for a reason.

PlayAction Pods

The SGPN guys continue their 57 prop bets for Super Bowl 57 with prop bets for the Kansas City Chiefs

PlayAction Pods

The SGPN guys continue their 57 prop bets for Super Bowl 57 with prop bets for the Philadelphia Eagles.

PlayAction Pods

From coin toss to national anthem to halftime to Gatorade color and more, the SGPN got you covered

NFL