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2021 BMW Championship: Rory McIlroy Still One of Golf’s Elite

By Tim Letcher

OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 26: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts to his par on the 18th green during the first round of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club on August 26, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 26: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts to his par on the 18th green during the first round of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club on August 26, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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Prior to the 2021 BMW Championship, Rory McIlroy admitted he was physically tired. But on Thursday in the first round of the second FedEx Cup playoff event, McIlroy looked perfectly fine as he grabbed an early share of the lead.

McIlroy has played an exhausting schedule over the course of the last month. It started with the Open Championship in England, where McIlroy shot even par and finished in a tie for 46th place.

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Two weeks later, McIlroy was in Japan for the Olympic golf competition. He shot four rounds in the 60s and finished 15-under par. He lost to C.T. Pan in a playoff for the bronze medal.

The following week, McIlroy was in Memphis for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. There, he was 10-under par and finished T12.

After taking a week off, McIlroy returned to action last week at the Northern Trust. He had only one round in the 60s, a 66 on Saturday, and finished T43.

So, there were no signs of what was to come on Thursday.

McIlroy got out of the gate quickly with a birdie on the first hole. After a par at the second, he birdied the third to get to 2-under on his round.

He would par the fourth hole before a birdie at the fifth. McIlroy would par the sixth, then birdie the seventh to reach 4-under par. That’s where he would finish his front nine.

On the back nine, McIlroy birdied the 10th and 12th holes to get to 6-under par. His only blemish of the day came at the par-3 14th hole, where he carded a bogey.

He would birdie the 15th hole to get back to 6-under par. Then on the par-5 16th hole, McIlroy stuck his second shot about 10 feet from the hole. He ran in the eagle putt to get to 8-under par and into a tie for the lead.

Next. 2021 Northern Trust: Winners and Losers at Liberty National. dark

That’s where he would finish the day, with an 8-under par 64. He is tied for the lead, through one round, with Sam Burns and Jon Rahm.

No one could have seen this coming from McIlroy on Thursday. It was just a reminder that he’s still one of the game’s elite players.

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