Aaron Rai and Rory McIlroy shared some of the headline billing ahead of the BMW PGA Championship and the Major Championship-winning duo delivered as they made fast starts on day one at Wentworth Club.
Among the morning starters on Thursday in a marquee three-ball that included Ryan Fox, another of this year’s Major winners, the trio all impressed with sub-70 scores over the West Course.
Players were met by rain at the outset of their rounds, but conditions improved midway through only for the wind to pick up as they made their way down the stretch.
Rai, who won the US PGA Championship in May, is bidding to emulate both McIlroy and Fox as winners of the prestigious Rolex Series tournament this week and he shot a six-under-par 66 to hold an early share of the clubhouse lead.
After starting off the ninth with a two-tee start in play over the first two rounds, Rai birdied four of his first six holes, before recovering a first dropped shot of the day at the 16th with another gain at the par-five 17th.
A birdie at the par-three second soon followed, while an accurate approach at the seventh was rewarded but he was indebted to an up-and-down from the drop zone at the eighth after finding the water off the tee to avoid a closing bogey.
"Really pleased overall," said the Englishman, who was presented with the inaugural Rory McIlroy Award by his playing partner earlier in the week for being the DP World Tour member with the best record in this year's Majors.
"Conditions were pretty tricky. We had a lot of rain during that warm up.
"But by the time it started, the wind had stopped, so that helped to start really well. I felt like I got into the round fast and got a couple of birdies early on and continued to just play well throughout the round and keep the momentum going when I was out of position.
"So, really good, a really good start."
2014 champion McIlroy was quick out of the blocks as he birdied five of his opening ten holes to briefly take the solo lead, but he stumbled on the back nine with three bogeys and a lone birdie at the par five fourth.
Despite stumbling home, the career Grand Slam champion was seeing the positives after fading away over the weekend in Ireland last week as he looks to make up lost ground to Patrick Reed on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World.
"It started to get a little tricky there at the end," said the Northern Irisman, who came into the week second on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World.
"Wind was gusty. But I played well. I certainly saw some improvements on the greens compared to last week. So, it's an encouraging start. Felt like I could have been a couple better at least but I think it's going to play pretty tricky this afternoon. So 69 isn't a bad score to start with."
McIlroy caught the eye with a bogey-free 60 off his own ball in Wednesday's Pro-Am and he is feeling confident about his chances of becoming a two-time winner at Wentworth.
"I said last week in Ireland, I see encouraging signs in my game," he added.
"It's just a matter of sticking with it, sticking with some of the feels that I've got in my swing; and hopefully over time, that feels more natural and I can just get in the flow of visualising shots and hitting shots and being more instinctive on course."
Fox, who won this title in 2023, was sandwiched in between McIlroy and Rai at four under after mixing five birdies with one bogey to card a 68.
