Rory McIlroy steals the show at US PGA as Tiger Woods limps to a 74

Tiger Woods was left wondering what might have been as he watched Rory McIlroy secure a first round lead at the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

McIlroy, who last won a major in 2014, posted a 65 on Thursday to sit top of the leaderboard, a position Woods looked likely to battle for early on.

The 15-time major winner was two-under after his first five holes and seemed to be mounting a charge.

But rustiness and pain emanating from his car crash 15 months ago saw him limp to a four-over 74 to leave the 46-year-old nine shots off McIlroy.

When speaking afterwards, Woods, playing in just his second event after nearly being killed in Los Angeles last year, was evidently frustrated by his performance.

He said: ‘My leg is not feeling as good as I would like it to be. We’ll start the recovery process and get after it tomorrow. I just can’t load it. Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, walking hurts and twisting hurts. It’s just golf. If I don’t play that, then I’m all right.

‘I did not hit a lot of good iron shots. I drove it well but my iron shots were not very good. I didn’t get the ball very close. I got off to a great start and didn’t keep it going. I really didn’t give myself any looks for birdie. I was struggling trying to get the ball on the green and I missed quite a few iron shots both ways. It was a frustrating day.’

In contrast to Woods, McIlroy was in good spirits after scoring his best start to a major since the 2011 US Open, a championship he ended up winning.

The Northern Irishman has been criticised for his performances at the game’s top events in recent years, but, in Oklahoma, he carried on the strong form from the second place finish he recorded at the Masters in April.

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