Golf: McIlroy opens with 67 at Riviera golf
Rory McIlroy carded four-under-par 67 in the opening round of the Northern Trust Open.
PACIFIC PALISADES (AFP) - Rory McIlroy s first taste of the historic Riviera Country Club course went off without a hitch Thursday as the world number three opened with a four-under-par 67 at the Northern Trust Open.
The 26-year-old Northern Irishman is switching up his pre-Masters schedule and that is why he decided to enter this week s $6.8 million USPGA Tour event.
Thursday s was the first time in his seven seasons that he has played a round on the US Tour s west coast swing.
"It is always nice to come to a historic golf course," McIlroy said. "I just wanted to get a good start, I didn t want to put myself behind the eight ball early."
McIlroy was one shot behind the early clubhouse leaders, Bubba Watson and Chez Reavie who both shot five-under-par 66s.
South African s Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel and Argentina s Angel Cabrera also got off to strong starts and were part of a large group that shot three-under-par 68s.
Jordan Spieth, who had an afternoon tee-off time, is hoping to improve on his fourth place finish at Riviera last year.
McIlroy finished with five birdies, one bogey and 12 pars on the 7,349 yard, par-71 layout.
One of his best holes of the day was the par-four seventh where he stuck his approach shot from 143 yards to three feet from the hole, setting up birdie.
McIlroy said overnight rains in the Los Angeles region helped make the course easier to play on Thursday.
"I put myself out of position sometimes but with the way the golf course was playing it didn t punish you much," he said.
"It happens a handful of times a year that we get to play a historic course like this. You got Augusta and we had it last year with Royal County Downs in Ireland and you got this course."
McIlroy dropped to number three in the world this week losing ground to Aussie Jason Day.
American Spieth and McIlroy have met just twice since Spieth won the Tour Championship in October. Spieth finished seventh and McIlroy 11th in China and McIlroy was third and Spieth fifth in Abu Dhabi.
