BMW Championship 2023, Day One: Rory McIlroy, Brian Harman share lead

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. -- Rory McIlroy didn't mind being in the rough at rain-soaked Olympia Fields, except for having trees and a bunker between him and the 17th green. And even that didn't matter Thursday in the BMW Championship.

McIlroy found the short grass only six times with 18 tee shots -- three of them on par 3s -- and no one would have guessed that looking at his card. He played bogey-free for a 5-under 65, giving him a share of the lead with Open Championship winner Brian Harman in the second FedExCup Playoffs event.  Read more

From CBS Sports, by Kyle Porter:

An unexpected easy day at Olympia Fields in the first round of the BMW Championship finished with an expected first-round leader Thursday. Rory McIlroy (-5) co-leads after 18 holes along with Brian Harman (-5) with a host of stars chasing from just beyond those two.

McIlroy's day ended spectacularly with one of the great birdies you'll ever see (video below) before Harman matched his 65 later in the day.

The course itself took on loads of rain that delayed play early in the day and caused a championship venue to play a bit less difficult than it did back in 2020.   Read more

From Golf Australia, by Reuters:

Rory McIlroy has holed a miraculous chip-in birdie on his way to shooting a five-under-par 65 for a share of the first-round lead with Open Champion Brian Harman at the BMW Championship near Chicago.  Read more

From Fox Sports Au, by AFP:

Second-ranked Rory McIlroy and British Open champion Brian Harman sank stunning 17th-hole birdie chip shots to share the lead after Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship, the penultimate FedEx Cup playoff event.

Reigning FedEx Cup champion McIlroy, a four-time major winner from Northern Ireland, and US left-hander Harman, who captured the Claret Jug last month at Royal Liverpool, fired five-under par 65s at Olympia Fields in suburban Chicago.

That was good enough for a one-shot lead over five Americans.  Read more