McIlroy seven adrift after opening with 17 straight pars

Rory McIlroy had to wait until his 18th hole to sink his first birdie after 17 successive pars in the first round of the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow.

Playing for the first time since winning the Masters back-to-back at Augusta last month, McIlroy was returning to a course where he was a four-time winner, though he failed to contend at last summer's PGA Championship held at the same venue.

Starting on the 10th hole, McIlroy endured a frustrating day, in which carded 17 consecutive pars, missing birdie putts of less than 10ft at the 14th hole (his fifth) and the third (his 12th). Other chances slipped by at the fifth, sixth and seventh.

After failing to sink a 14-footer at his penultimate hole, McIlroy appeared to be on the cusp of the novel feat of 18 straight pars.

A wayward drive left seemed to have scotched his chances of registering a birdie but he struck a fine approach to 15ft and - for once - his birdie putt dropped.

Having sunk the putt, McIlroy raised his arms high in the air in amused relief.

"I knew that I made so many pars, but I was thinking I can't remember the last time I played a round of golf and didn't have a birdie," McIlroy said after his round.

"I think I was like, 'just try to make one.'

"I didn't make birdie at 7, didn't make birdie at 8, so then I thought my chance had passed me by, but nice to see one putt go in there at the last.

"I wasn't frustrated, I was hitting good putts. Some days they just don't want to go in. No, I wasn't, I was just trying to stay patient because I felt like I was hitting good putts."

FULL LEADERBOARD

With Round 1 still ongoing, McIlroy's round of 70 leaves him tied-32nd, seven strokes behind leader Matt McCarty.

McCarty rattled in nine birdies, including four in his last five holes to card an opening round 63. He leads the field by three at the time of writing, with a sextet of players including defending champion Sepp Straka and Nicolai Hojgaard sharing second spot on five under par.

Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young and Justin Thomas are among the players currently at four under.

Shane Lowry, who finished runner-up at last year's tournament in Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissachickon Course), has opted out of the competition ahead of next week's PGA Championship.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has finished runner-up in his last three starts on Tour, also opted out this week.

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