Former world No.1 Rory McIlroy made a solid start to the $US7 million ($A7.30 million) BMW Masters in testing, blustery conditions in Shanghai on Thursday but it was a young American that stole the show.
Although McIlroy will head into the second round six shots behind leader Luke Guthrie, he was one of only 13 players in the elite 78-player field to break par in the opening round at the European Tour event.
Guthrie had a day to remember on the greens, taking just 19 putts and chipping in twice in a row for birdie and then eagle at 14 and 15 as he shot a stunning seven-under-par 65 to lead by three shots from countryman John Daly (68).
Peter Uihlein shot a three-under par 69 to put, unusually, a trio of Americans on top of the leaderboard.
An upbeat McIlroy, who finished second in the Korea Open last week, was in the mood from the first tee, driving unerringly long and straight as he recorded four birdies and three bogeys in a first-round one-under par 71 to be firmly in contention.
The 24-year-old has struggled for form this year since changing clubs to Nike, failing to record a top-10 finish in his last 10 starts before last week.
With strong winds forecast again for Friday, McIlroy was right in the mix in a tournament he won when it was an invitational two years ago and in which he finished second in 2012.
“It was one of the better rounds I’ve ever played,” said Guthrie, a 23-year-old from Illinois who finished fifth in the US PGA Tour’s Shriner Hospitals Open last week and had never played in Asia before this week.
“It’s playing difficult. I had 19 putts and that was definitely the key to my round. It was only on the 10th when I realised I had one-putted the first nine holes.”
On a day of fiercely gusting winds at Lake Malaren Golf Club, McIlroy struck the ball beautifully from the tee and was soon under par as a 25-foot putt rolled home at the par-four second.
But, as in Korea last week, McIlroy could not find consistency with his putter, taking three jabs from 10 feet at the fourth to give a shot back after his birdie putt lipped out, and missing a par effort in the 13th from even closer.
Playing partner and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell shot a two-under 70 having just taken five weeks off to get married.
“It was really tough. The conditions have spreadeagled the field a little bit. Nice to be at the business end,” he said.
European Tour Race to Dubai standings leader Henrik Stenson of Sweden, playing with McIlroy and McDowell, showed no signs of his wrist injury on his way to level-par 72 and a share of 14th place.
He shared that mark with seven players including England’s former world No.1 Lee Westwood and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington from Ireland.
