Golf:Rory McIlroy made the perfect start to his bid to claim the world number one berth after he carded a four-under-par 66 in the first round of the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens.
That was enough to give him a brief clubhouse lead, until US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love, who had a hole-in-one at the fifth, birdied the 17th and 18th to move to post a six-under 64.
McIlroy missed out on taking top spot after losing the final of the Accenture World match Play to Hunter Mahan in Arizona last week, but a win this weekend will see him become the youngest player to make it to number one.
Starting on the 10th hole, McIlroy picked up the first of five birdies on the 14th after a 165-yard approach to five feet and added a 12-foot putt on the short 17th before two-putting the 556-yard 18th to turn in 32.
Further birdies came on the second and seventh, but he was more than 50 feet from the flag on the next green and three-putted to drop his only stroke.
The US Open champion was pleased with his round and also hopeful that his rivals would have trickier conditions to deal with later in the day.
“I felt like I played very nicely. Only made that one mistake on the eighth green with a three putt, but apart from that I was very happy with how it went,” said McIlroy.
“It was nice to take advantage of not much wind and how soft it was but hopefully the wind gets up this afternoon.”
Love, who insists he will play against Europe in Chicago in September if he qualifies, holed-in-one with a five-iron to the 217-yard fifth and with three successive birdies from the seventh turned in 31.
The 47-year-old bogeyed the 10th, but birdied the 17th and par-five 18th to move into a two-shot clubhouse lead.
Speaking of his ace, Love said: “That was a big boost but you’re lucky when they go in. And then to hit a good drive at the next hole, have a birdie putt and then birdie three in a row that was a really good start to the first nine.”
Justin Rose joined McIlroy on four under after hitting back from an early double bogey with an eagle and four birdies.
Rose’s double bogey came after a wild drive down the second, but he eagled the next from nine feet, then had a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth and picked up another at the 16th.
The American duo of Ryan Palmer and Dicky Pride would also finish their opening round of four under.
Earlier, Ian Poulter had to pull out of the event Florida due to illness.
The Englishman, who had complained of suffering from a high temperature, was due to play with compatriot Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods in the first round.
“Sorry guys never been so disappointed in pulling out of a tournament,” Poulter wrote on Twitter. “Never felt so rough, hope the first reserve plays well in a great group today.
“Poulter will be replaced by Argentine Miguel Angel Carballo, organisers said.
Pádraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke were among the late tee-offs in the first round.
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