Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy muscled his way to a one-stroke lead with a course record on the opening day of the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen on Thursday.
McIlroy grabbed eight birdies, including four in succession mid-round, to break the existing course record by two shots with an seven-under-par 64 on the par 71 links gem.
It handed the double major winner, who is contesting the event for a first time in four years, a one-shot clubhouse lead over Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg.
McIlroy’s score lowers the existing mark of local Royal Aberdeen club champion, Mark Halliday by two shots, and it adds to a growing number of course records on both sides of the Atlantic that the 25-year-old holds.
The pick of those is an Old Course record of 63 set on the opening day of the 2010 British Open championship and a similar score in the 2009 WGC – HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
“It depends where it is whether or not setting a new course record is special to me but then there are a few that are a little better than the others,” he said.
“I just hope nobody betters the 61 I shot at Royal Portrush, as I have been holding onto that one for years.
“But it was just a great start and anytime you can start a tournament like that you have to be very pleased and it’s obviously something I can build on for the next three days.
“More importantly I was more pleased in how I controlled my game out there and controlled my ball flight, and after having practiced those shots over the last ten days, it was good to go out and trust it today in a tournament round.”
McIlroy’s impressive display off the tee was no better highlighted when he drove the green at the downwind 436-yard (399m) par four 13th, much to the amazement of the three player group in front and still on the green that included defending champion Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald and Holland’s Joost Luiten.
Broberg had just 24 putts in his round, four fewer than McIlroy.
“I played really, really well and I hit very good shots and a lot of close ones, so this helps a bit,” he said.
Donald along with Scotland’s Marc Warren are well placed with four under par 67s and one fewer than Mickelson with the defending champion eagling the sixth hole but then dropping a shot at the last.
