Philadelphia: Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy broke new ground when they tied for the first round lead at the BMW Championships here Thursday.
Despite 18 Major championships between them, the pair had never shared the lead after any round on the PGA Tour until they carded matching eight-under-par 62s in oppressive humidity on the Aronimink course, west of Philadelphia.
They led by one stroke from American Xander Schauffele in the third of four play-off events on tour. Compatriot Bryson DeChambeau, a winner in the past two weeks, opened with a 67.
The key to Woods’ score was assured putting with the old Scotty Cameron putter he brought out of mothballs after wielding it in 13 of his 14 Major victories more than a decade ago.
“I’ve been monkeying around with it at home in the backyard through the summer. It just never felt right, but it feels good (now),” the American told reporters as a river of sweat poured down his flushed face. “I know the release point and I know how it swings because I’ve hit hundreds of millions of putts with that thing.”
McIlroy threatened to steal the headlines from Woods. Playing the back nine first, the Northern Irishman made six straight birdies from his ninth hole, the 18th, to go nine under and raise the possibility of shooting 59.
But consecutive bogeys at his 16th and 17th holes put paid to that notion, before he birdied the par-five ninth after hoisting a five-wood second shot to the heart of the green.
Earlier, Woods rushed to the turn in 29 strokes, including a five-foot eagle at the par-five 16th. “This was the shot of the entire day, a three-iron from 230 (yards) and I just laced it up in the air,” the 42-year-old said. “Boy, shooting 29 on the front nine helps.”
