September 4th 2014, Colorado, U.S.A.: Rory McIlroy met one of Denver’s leading men, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, on Tuesday in the Cherry Hills clubhouse. Now McIlroy is in the lead at the BMW Championship after shooting 3-under 67 on Thursday.
Gary Woodland and Jordan Spieth are tied with McIlroy atop a tightly-packed leaderboard. Another nine players are another shot back (Henrik Stenson has to complete the 18th hole because play was suspended late Thursday).
McIlroy, who teed off on No. 10 Thursday, made the turn in 2-under 34, then birdied Nos. 1-3 to take the lead. He made two bogeys and no birdies over his final six holes, though.
“I’m a little frustrated coming off the course, because I feel like it should have been better than what I finished,” McIlroy said. “But you can see by the scores, it’s pretty tricky out there … so a 67 is a really good start, even though it could have been a bit better.”
McIlroy, who won two majors and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this season, is No. 2 in the FedExCup standings. He won the 2012 BMW Championship en route to a second-place finish in the FedExCup.
Manning gave McIlroy tickets to Sunday’s season-opening Broncos-Colts game. McIlroy described himself as a “big time” football fan. “Even though you guys play with pads on, which … I don’t understand,” McIlroy said.
Cherry Hills proved to be a tough test Thursday. There was debate about how difficult the classic course, which was built in the 1920s, could stand up to long hitters aided by the high altitude. Graeme McDowell said the winning score this week could range from 20 under to 10 under, depending on how firm the course played.
It looks like the latter may happen. Cherry Hills was firm and fast Thursday, which explains why no one shot lower than 3 under. Woodland said it was “as firm as we have ever seen.” McIlroy compared it to a quasi-U.S. Open.
“I wouldn’t say it’s quite as difficult as (a U.S. Open), but it’s thick rough, especially around the greens, and firm greens,” McIlroy said. “That’s what they need to keep the scoring the way it is.”
Cherry Hills is a 7,352-yard, par-70, but Denver’s altitude makes the course play approximately 10 percent shorter. Players said the greens were much firmer than during Wednesday’s pro-am.
“They’re concrete out there,” Woodland said.
Having to calculate the altitude’s impact on shots, and predict how they would bounce when they hit the greens, forced players to do some serious calculations.
“The course was playing extremely fast and firm. It was very difficult with the altitude and everything to get the exact yardages,” said Sergio Garcia, who shot 68. “As much as the ball was bouncing, it almost felt like a major.”
