Sports17 September, 20263 min read
Aaron Rai And Joakim Lagergren Share First-Round Lead At Wentworth BMW PGA Championship
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Aaron Rai and Joakim Lagergren share the Wentworth lead at 66 (-6). Rory McIlroy faltered late, finishing three-under after a strong start.
7 outlets told this the same way.
Rai and Lagergren lead
Aaron Rai shot a six-under 66 to share the first-round lead with Joakim Lagergren at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, while Rory McIlroy finished at three under after a late stumble.
Rai said, "Really pleased overall. Conditions were pretty tricky," adding that "by the time it started, the wind had stopped, so that helped to start really well."
McIlroy, who was five under after 10 holes, saw his round unravel as he dropped three bogeys over his final seven to finish three strokes adrift of the joint leaders.
The BBC also described how McIlroy found water on his penultimate hole, contributing to his three bogeys in the final seven and leaving him at three under.
CBS Sports put the leaderboard focus on the Race to Dubai, noting Rai’s 6-under 66 and Lagergren’s share of the lead as Adam Scott sat one stroke behind after the more difficult afternoon wave.
McIlroy’s stumble explained
McIlroy said his finish reflected a shift in conditions, telling the Independent, "Started very strong, five-under through 10, and started hitting a few loose shots on the way in." He added, "It started to get a little tricky there at the end, the wind was gusty, but I played well," as the Northern Irishman ended at three under. The Golf Australia Magazine account tied the same late-game change to wind at Wentworth, quoting McIlroy: "The wind is gusty out there, and really any time the wind picks up, especially around Wentworth, it funnels into the trees."
Golf Australia also described McIlroy’s earlier momentum, saying he made the turn in five-under after closing his opening nine with three straight birdies before dropping two shots to finish with a three-under 69. In the Mesabi Tribune’s recap, McIlroy’s round included a pro-am 60 the day before, while the report emphasized that he was "five-under through 10 holes" before the front-nine bogeys pulled him back.
Race to Dubai stakes
With the season finale approaching, CBS Sports framed the opening round as part of the Race to Dubai, noting that McIlroy and Patrick Reed were both in the mix as points come into view. McIlroy said, "Hopefully I go there still in with a chance, and yeah, try to finish the year off strong in the Middle East and try to win another Race to Dubai," while CBS Sports linked that goal to his bid to make up ground after a "pedestrian week" in the Irish Open. The BBC listed the joint leaders at -6 and showed the broader field context, including Patrick Reed at four under and Jon Rahm at six-over after a six-over 78.
The Independent added that McIlroy is trying to reel in Patrick Reed to win a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title, while also noting that Reed was bidding to become only the second American after Collin Morikawa to win the Race to Dubai. Meanwhile, the BBC’s round-one leaderboard notes that Rai knocked in seven birdies with the only blemish arriving on the 16th, and it highlighted Lagergren’s eagle on the 12th as the key swing in his 66.