Bo van Pelt takes first round lead as Rory McIlroy struggles to shake off hangover
Northern Irishman admits he has been neglecting his game in last week after celebrating three wins in a row
Bo Van Pelt chipped in for eagle at the par-five 17th hole for a 65 that pushed him past a crowd of eight players and into the first-round lead at The Barclays on a Thursday when Rory McIlroy played poorly.
The Northern Irishman, winner in his last three starts including the British Open and PGA Championship, shot a three-over-par 74 and trailed Van Pelt by nine strokes.
Among the long queue tied for second at five-under 66 in the opening tournament of the four-event FedExCup playoffs were Jim Furyk, who stood third on the points list, his old Ryder Cup team mate Hunter Mahan and England’s Paul Casey.
They were joined by Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe and Americans Charles Howell III, Cameron Tringale, Ben Martin and Brendon Todd on a course softened by overnight rain.'
The 25-year-old McIlroy blamed his poor play on a lack of preparation and not on fatigue despite taking time to celebrate his blistering run and attending to added business commitments.