McIlroy got off to a poor start in defense of his title at the Wells Fargo Championship, rallying for a 1-over-par 73 after starting with 40 over that back nine at Quail Hollow Club, where he shot 61 a year ago on his way to a 7-stroke victory.
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A spectator threw the object just after McIlroy hit his tee shot and Fowler was preparing to tee off on the sixth hole at Quail Hollow Club on Thursday.
“So random”, Fowler said. “The guy tried to say it was a gift”.
And the golfer, while recalling about Wells Fargo championship, said, “I have been always extremely comfortable on this course as I have several great memories here in this championship”.
The fan was escorted from the property by police.
“Then it s basically week-on, week-off from there”, said McIlroy, who will play the USPGA Memorial hosted by Jack Nicklaus in OH prior to a week off before the US Open at Oakmont in Pennsylvania.
Fowler, the 2012 victor, finished with a 71, leaving him six shots behind Wheatcroft and Loupe, who were also paired together.
McIlroy’s round of 73 was one better than three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington, who had an eagle, a birdie and five bogeys on his way to a 74.
Castro and Hubbard are winless in a combined 162 tournaments, and Hubbard is still seeking his first top 10 in his 47th PGA Tour event.
Lahiri was one shot behind leaders Americans Steve Wheatcroft and Andrew Loupe on a breezy day at Quail Hollow.
“The length is a premium this year here more so than others”, Fowler said. “I’ve been in this position before, so I guess it’s something I can draw off of, think back and learn from mistakes that I’ve made and hopefully keep it clean out there”.
Fowler wasn’t sure that it was a ball until it flew by his left side and stopped rolling. Since failing to make the cut at the Honda Classic in February, he’s finished in the top 10 in three of the last four tournaments. His 68 included a pair of missed putts inside 5 feet – a birdie putt on the fifth hole and par putt on the 13th. “Paul’s a very close friend of mine and I feel like if I didn’t play, I would let him down big time”.
World number three Rory McIlroy concedes he remains unconvinced that golf has a long-term future at the Olympic Games.
He called his first competitive round since the Masters a tale of two nines..
Playing in the same group as McIlroy alongside Hideki Matsuyama, Fowler made progress by reeling in a hat-trick of birdies from the sixth during a bogey-free front nine. I didnt really have my scoring head on..
So until October it’s going to be very busy, ” McIlroy said Wednesday.
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I need to go out and shoot a good round, something in the 60s, and get myself back into the tournament going into the weekend, said McIlroy, who has spent the last three weeks working to fix his swing.
