McIlroy off to brilliant start at Bay Hill

Rory McIlroy opened with a seven-under 65 and had reason to expect a score like this at Bay Hill, not so much because of the course but rather the day of the week.

Good starts have not been a problem for McIlroy at the Arnold Palmer Invitational the last two years. Now it's about keeping them going to the finish line.

With three birdies and a 40-foot eagle on the par 5s, McIlroy had his lowest start at Bay Hill and a two-shot lead over Billy Horschel, Beau Hossler and J.J. Spaun.

Adam Scott, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter, who dressed in Ukrainian colours, were in the group tied fifth, three shots behind at 68.

"I think you turn up at any golf course where you've had success, and automatically you're going to have some confidence coming in," said McIlroy, who won at Bay Hill in 2018 and hasn't finished out of the top 10 the last five years.

He opened with a 66 each of the last two years, both times failing to break par on the weekend.

But there is a rhythm to playing Bay Hill that makes McIlroy comfortable, mainly taking advantage of the par 5s and some of the shorter par 4s. He had eagle putts on three of the par 5s, making the long one up the ridge on the 16th, his seventh hole of the round.

"I played the par 5s particularly well, and that was the bulk of the score," he said. "I've said this all along, you can play within yourself here and still shoot a good score, I feel, if you're just disciplined and pick off the birdies where you're supposed to."

World No.1 Jon Rahm made his Bay Hill debut with a 72 that included one extra stroke he didn't anticipate. He went to rap in a 10-inch par putt on the seventh hole, didn't feel right and tried to stop the stroke only for it to nudge the ball an inch.

"I I tried to stop,