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Rory McIlroy Begins Houston Open with Modest Performance

Rory McIlroy kicked off his final PGA Tour event before The Masters with a steady yet unspectacular first round of 70 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. This tournament marks McIlroy’s first appearance in Houston since 2014, chosen strategically to sharpen his game ahead of his pursuit of a career Grand Slam at Augusta National next month.

As the current FedExCup leader, McIlroy has already celebrated wins at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players this season, and is now seeking to add momentum heading into the major tournament. During his initial round at Memorial Park Golf Course, McIlroy encountered challenges on the greens, managing to make only 49 feet of putts, leaving him five strokes behind the early leaders.

Starting on the back nine, the world No. 2 experienced a troublesome day, as he failed to save par from an eight-foot putt at the 14th hole and fell short at the par-five 16th. Though he achieved his first birdie at the par-five third, one hole later he surrendered a shot, reflecting an inconsistent performance. McIlroy’s only birdie of the day came on the par-five eighth hole, right before he concluded his round. With a need for improvement in his upcoming rounds to avoid a missed cut for the first time since The Open, McIlroy is keen to elevate his performance.

Discussing his round, McIlroy said, “A little pedestrian, I guess is a good way to describe it. We had to deal with those conditions early on, rainy and not too pleasant to play in. I made a few par saves early on that I needed to and then had quite a few chances on the second nine there that I didn’t convert. Yeah, sort of tale of two halves. I felt like I was scrambling for the most part on the first nine and then I feel like I left a couple out there on the last nine.”

At the top of the leaderboard, Taylor Pendrith, Keith Mitchell, Ryan Gerard, and Alejandro Tosti share the lead at five under par, with European Ryder Cup hopefuls Victor Perez and Rasmus Hojgaard just a stroke behind. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is another shot back, recording a solid round with three birdies and no bogeys, navigating tough weather conditions.

Scheffler remarked, “I felt like I started to play a little bit better on the back nine. The first nine I was kind of getting it around a little bit but still posted a score today. Conditions were pretty tough out there today with the rain and the wind, so overall, nice to keep a clean card.”

The first round of the tournament was interrupted due to darkness at 7:28 PM local time, with several players, including Taylor Dickson, unable to finish their rounds. England’s Harry Hall concluded the day with a two-under par 68, while Rickie Fowler trails by one stroke. Defending champion Stephan Jaeger finds himself alongside McIlroy at level par.

Who will seize victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open? Follow the action live throughout the week on Sky Sports, with early coverage beginning Friday at 12:15 PM on Sky Sports Golf, leading up to full coverage from 8 PM. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.

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