Westwood and McIlroy ride momentum at PGA

Rory McIlroy showed no sign of letting up. Lee Westwood might just be getting started. Momentum was a big theme in the opening round of the PGA Championship on Thursday, and it even applied to Tiger Woods.

Except that Woods kept going in the wrong direction.

Westwood followed up a season-best 63 four days ago at Firestone by matching his best score in a major championship. He made nine birdies at Valhalla for a six-under 65, giving him a share of the lead with Ryan Palmer and Kevin Chappell.

One shot behind was McIlroy, the No. 1 player and overwhelming favourite in the final major of the year. McIlroy, coming off back-to-back wins at the British Open and a World Golf Championship, overcame a wild double bogey on the par-5 10th hole by running off four straight birdies. His eagle attempt on the 18th hole narrowly missed. He settled for a 66, a solid start in his bid to become only the seventh player to win the last two majors of the year.

Woods achieved that feat twice, including at Valhalla in 2000. That now seems even longer than 14 years ago.

Right when McIlroy was building momentum, he hooked his second shot on the par-5 10th hole over a fence and out-of-bounds, leading to a double bogey. He was more upset about a three-putt bogey on the next hole, but then Boy Wonder bounced back with four straight birdies to get right back into the mix.

“It sort of knocked me off track,” McIlroy said. “Walking to the 12th tee I  was muttering a few things to myself.

“Whenever you are confident and you have some momentum on your side, it’s easier to do what I did today rather if everything is sort of going against you, and you’re struggling for form and you have a patch like that,” he said.