Fleetwood leads as storm clouds loom at BMW PGA Championship

LONDON: Stormy weather provided a fitting backdrop for the opening round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on Thursday (Sep 8) where players on both sides of golf's bitter power struggle were in action on the soggy fairways.

The flagship tournament of the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) has been overshadowed by the presence of 17 golfers who have signed up for the divisive LIV Tour - the Saudi-backed series rocking golf's status quo.

Northern Ireland's four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, one of the favourites for the title, has pulled no punches in criticising his former Ryder Cup colleagues who have jumped ship for the LIV Tour riches.

He is joined in a strong field by the likes of US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, 2021 Wentworth winner Billy Horschel and Spain's former US Open winner John Rahm, all of whom have had nothing to do with the LIV Tour.

England's Tommy Fleetwood, another player to shun the breakaway tour, topped the leaderboard midway through Thursday's opening round with a superb eight-under 64, finishing with four successive birdies.

He was joined by compatriot Andy Sullivan while another Englishman, Jordan Matthew, was second after a 65. Former British Open champion Shane Lowry, who described the presence of LIV golfers as "disruptive", carded a 66.

Of the LIV Tour contingent, Austria's Bernd Wiesberger was the highest-placed on four-under.

McIlroy had said it would be "hard to stomach" playing alongside the likes of former Ryder Cup team mates Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia at Wentworth and he re-stated his opposition on Wednesday.

Former Europe Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, a DP World Tour board member, told Sky Sports that those signed up for the LIV Tour should not be