Keith Mitchell broke the course record at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on Thursday by shooting a career-best 9-under 61, spearheading a birdie spree at the Truist Championship.
The Wissahickon Course record of 65 was shared by Angus Flanagan, Zac Blair, and Colin St. Maxen. The long hitters and aggressive shots with short irons and wedges overtook the 7,100-yard A.W. Tillinghast design, which had modest par 4s and gettable pin positions.
Mitchell was bogey-free and had an outside chance at 59 on his second shot from 102 yards on the ninth hole, his 18th. He nailed his approach to just over 9 feet and settled for a closing par and a one-shot lead over Denny McCarthy. Akshay Bhatia, Rickie Fowler, Sepp Straka, and Collin Morikawa who all shot 63.
In the sixth Signature Event of the PGA TOUR season, Rory McIlroy, who was making his first individual start since winning the career Grand Slam at the Masters, shot 66 and was one of 64 men to beat par on the seemingly vulnerable Wissahickon layout.
Despite a sluggish start with five consecutive pars on the back nine, Mitchell took the lead. The 33-year-old’s run continued with birdies on 2 of the first 3 holes on his back nine before a four-birdie run for a 6-under 29 on the inward nine. Things heated up for the 33-year-old with birdies on the sturdy 17th and 18th holes.
Mitchell said he had a pal who is a member at Philadelphia Cricket Club and obtained some intel ahead of his arrival. but, he attributed the work he and his caddie did early in the week researching the greens as laying the stage for his success.
“I just tried to put the ball on the green by figuring out what to hit and where to hit it on Monday and Wednesday. You can have a really fast putt and have a ton of breaks if you get above the hole really pin high on the wrong side.” Mitchell, who has one career victory and six top-25 performances this year with one missed cut, stated.
Five consecutive birdies at Nos. 11-15 helped the 32-year-old McCarthy, who has lost twice in the playoffs and is winless on the tour, get out to a quick start. He opened his inward nine with back-to-back birdies and added two more for a comfortable, but not surprising, opening round.
“It doesn’t really surprise me because I’ve been playing so well lately. There is a great deal of golf left. This is a great beginning. I’m thrilled with the recent popularity of my game.” he said.
The defending champion and four-time winner McIlroy stuck to his aggressive strategy of trying to overwhelm the layout with driver off the tee, but he made two mistakes along the way: a three-putt at the par-4 11th hole and a bogey at the 570-yard, par-5 15th hole, where he scrambled after missing the fairway with his drive and the green with his approach from 243 yards.
McIlroy’s mistakes in the first round were quickly forgotten.
“I believe it went well; I drove the ball fairly effectively, missed it a few times, but managed to get away with it.” McIlroy said about his round of 6 birdies and 2 bogeys.
After celebrating his slam-clinching victory at the Masters and finishing in 12th place in New Orleans, where he and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry were defending champions, McIlroy is playing for the first time in around two weeks. He admitted that he wasn’t playing at his best.
“I felt a little rusty because I hadn’t played in a week and hadn’t practiced much, especially on and around the greens. I can definitely clean up a few things, but it was a good day all around.” he said.
After suffering from neck and knee problems in August, Alex Noren returned to the Tour. The 42-year-old Swede, who had a 67 to start, was glad to be back and eager to improve.
“It feels strange to stop playing for so long. I’ve been eager to be a little more anxious and energized and to be a little more focused. You spend some time honing your short game while out and about. When you are unsure of when you will be able to return, it is ultimately less motivating. For the final two weeks, it felt terrific for two consecutive weeks. The hamstring continues to hold.” he said.
