Rory McIlroy labelled his opening round of the US PGA Championship as s**t after he finished with four successive bogeys.
The 37-year-old was among the early starters at Aronimink Golf Club in south-west Philadelphia and appeared to have steadied the ship after an opening bogey.
He hit back with a birdie before reeling off 10 straight pars. But his back nine – the first nine on the course – decimated his round with five bogeys and a solitary birdie leaving him four over par.
Asked to describe his round, McIlroy said: "S**t.
"I started missing fairways. I missed the fairway right on four, the fairway right on six, the fairway right on seven, fairway right on nine.
"I made that birdie on five to get back to even-par after the soft bogey on four, then I just got on that bogey train at the end.
"I'm just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year for the most part. I just need to try to figure it out. I honestly thought I’d figured it out.
"Just sort of, once I get under the gun, it just seems like it starts to go a little bit wayward on me."
The back-to-back Masters champion had said he felt the course was a "bash driver down, figure it out" course but a number of players came unstuck when missing the fairway.
McIlroy admitted being wayward was more penalising than he thought.
"There certainly is a penalty for missing the fairway. Probably more than what I anticipated after being here, whatever it is, two Fridays ago," McIlroy said.
It was a different story for Shane Lowry who said one of his overriding concerns was managing his expectations after a strong opening round of 68 left him one stroke off the lead.
Lowry, whose best finish in the PGA Championship is tied-fourth - alongside Padraig Harrington - at Kiawah Island in 2021, chipped in for eagle on the par-five ninth to really ignite his round.
An eagle for Shane Lowry at 9! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/N00u8PIQsj
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 14, 2026
Two birdies followed on the back nine, including at the closing hole to leave him well placed around a layout which was playing far trickier than expected.
"I didn't feel that comfortable out there," Lowry told RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen.
"Sometimes I feel great and you end up not shooting a great score and when you don't feel that good maybe it focuses you in on your targets a little bit better.
"It's a good start to a big week and hopefully I can keep that momentum going over the next few days.
"I'm confident. I wouldn't say I feel amazing about my game but I feel good."
The 2019 Open champion admitted he was relishing the challenge presented by the Aronimink course.
"This type of golf is kind of nice sometimes where you don't have to make a birdie every three holes to feel like you're not going backwards.
"I'm coming to these big tournaments with a lot of expectation on myself and just trying to manage that is probably the big thing for me on weeks like this.
"Just manage my expectation - almost my want - to go out there and be in contention on Sunday and win one of these tournaments again.
"I've done the right things over the last week and it paid off today but we have a long way to go from here."
With additional reporting: PA
