Rory McIlroy kept it simple at Philadelphia Cricket Club on Thursday, following through on his straightforward strategy from the day before.
“The strategy is just hit driver everywhere and then figure it out from there,” he said Wednesday, almost apologetically.
That approach worked well enough in Round 1 of the Truist Championship, where McIlroy posted a 4-under 66. He sits five shots behind leader Keith Mitchell after the opening round.
McIlroy absolutely demolished the par-70, 7,119-yard layout with his driver. He reached for wedges on every par 4 except the 18th, where he needed a 7-iron.
The power display was something to behold. McIlroy led the field in driving distance at over 340 yards, with nine of his tee shots traveling beyond 330 yards.
The reigning Masters champion (who’s also won The Players and AT&T Pebble Beach this year) hit seven of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation. His proximity to the hole was a different story – averaging 36’5″, which ranked 67th in the 72-player field.
“I think it worked out fine,” McIlroy said of his bomb-and-gouge approach. “I drove the ball pretty well. I missed it in a couple of spots but was sort of able to get away with it. The mistakes I made mostly were from around the greens, the three-putt on 12 and then making 6 at 15.”
Despite the solid score, McIlroy felt some rust after his brief layoff.
“I felt like I was a little rusty out there, just hadn’t played in a week and I hadn’t really done a ton of practice, especially like on and around the greens. I certainly can tidy a few things up, but overall a decent day.”
What’s remarkable is how McIlroy’s power advantage translated across the course. He’s giving himself wedge approaches where many competitors are hitting mid-irons, creating scoring opportunities even when his proximity numbers aren’t ideal in this $20 million signature event.
