McIlroy, Power and Lowry make fast starts in CJ Cup
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will have no problem motivating themselves for the next three days after making bogey-free starts in the CJ Cup in South Carolina.
Chasing a win that would likely catapult him back to world number one, McIlroy matched playing partner Tom Kim and fired a five-under 66 to lie just one stroke behind clubhouse leaders Trey Mullinax and Gary Woodland at Congaree.
“It would be very easy to just take the rest of the year off and be like, you know what, I'll see everyone in Hawaii in January,” said FedEx Cup champion McIlroy, who will be looking to finish the years as No 1 on both sides of the pons as he chases the DP World Tour rankings in Dubai next month.
“But there's always something. I think I was alluding to it yesterday in the press conference. No matter what you achieve in this game, you're having to constantly reset your goals and reframe your mindset.
“So yeah, maybe if I didn't have these two things to go for over the next couple of months, I would take a bit of time off, but I still feel motivated, and I think playing well motivates you even more also. There's definitely no lack of that.”
As Seamus Power bogeyed the last to opened with a four-under 67, Lowry made three birdies in a 68 to sit just outside the top 10 and admitted that while he often struggles for motivation at this time of year, getting into the mix would get his juices flowing.
“I kind of lose a bit of motivation to compete a little bit this time of year,” said Lowry, who plans to play the DP World Tour Championship and hopes to land an invitation to Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.
“It's one of those where it's a strange time of year, isn't it, where the Playoffs feel like a long time ago, the Masters feels like a long way away, so you kind of feel like you're in no-man's land.”
Lowry later revealed: “Accidentally broke my putter on the 9th hole today…Hour drive to get a replacement. Thanks to the staff at the PGA Tour Superstore in Bluffton for their help.”
As for his opening round, he felt he spurned to many chances towards the end of his round on his debut at the venue but admitted it was a course that suits his eye.
“We don't normally play golf courses that are this firm, so it's nice,” Lowry said. “A little bit of wind would be nice and make it very tricky. But it was a lovely morning out there for golf this morning, it was very gettable.”
Power was five under playing the 18th but found trouble left in the waste area and scrambled a bogey to open with a four-under 67 that left him inside the top 10.
“Yeah, it wasn't bad. It was kind of a funny round, I played nicely on the front and not so great on the back and ended up with the same score either way,“ said Power, who made two birdies going out before mixing two birdies and two bogeys with an eagle three at the 12th, where he holed from a waste búnker from 20 yards.
“So a few things to kind of tidy up, but yeah, overall not a bad start, get myself right in the tournament.”
With the PGA Tour announcing four more enhanced ($20m) events this week - the Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship to join the four majors, The Players, the three FedExCup Playoff events, the three invitationals (Genesis, Bay Hill, Memorial), the WGC Match Play and the Tournament of Champions with 'elevated' status- Power has not yet had time to formulate a Ryder Cup qualifying plan.
“I haven't really looked. Just with the announcement yesterday kind of changed things for the spring, that's what we were kind of all waiting for to put it together, so I kind of got to sit down next time I have a week off and go from there,” he said.
“Yeah, a couple people I've kind of got to give a call to over the next -- so much was up in the air with wondering what was going to happen with some of these events, so now there's a bit of clarity there. I think I'll figure out a bit more a better schedule and see what I can do.”
Meanwhile, Marcus Armitage carded eight birdies in a bogey-free 63 to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Mallorca Golf Ope at Son Muntaner.
At 68th in the DP World Tour rankings, the Englishman needs a big end to the year to make the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
He leads by a shot from the Netherland’s Daan Huizing with Dane Rasmus Højgaard, Lucas Nemecz of Austria and Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares a shot further back on six-under.
With only top 117 keeping their cards, it was a disappointing day for the Irish as Niall Kearney, 172nd in the rankings, made four bogeys and three bogeys in a one-over 72 to share 85th.
The exempt Jonathan Caldwell shot 73 to lie 97th on two-over while 235th ranked Cormac Sharvin had four double bogeys in an 81 to sit near the back of the field.
At the Second Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in Florida, Dubliner David Carey added a one-under 70 to a brace of 68s to slip to tied 32nd with a round to go on seven-under, three shots outside the top 18 and ties who progress to next month’s Final Stage.
