Rory McIlroy BMW Championship: Ties Round 1 Lead

Rory McIlroy's BMW Championship bounce-back was loud enough to share the lead. CBS Sports said the four-time major winner shot a bogey-free 6-under 64 on Thursday at Bellerive Country Club and tied Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, J.J. Spaun, and Chris Gotterup atop the FedEx Cup Playoffs leaderboard. That is a different golfer than the one who left Memphis last week 66th of 69 players at 8 over after four straight rounds in the 70s, CBS noted.

McIlroy credited an emergency session back in Florida with longtime coach Michael Bannon and caddie Harry Diamond, CBS reported, and the new feel showed up on the stat sheet: second in strokes gained on approach, 10th off the tee. It was not a fast start. Four pars to open, 2 under at the turn. Then the back nine: four birdies, including three in his last four holes, and a monster drive on 18 that let him attack a soft golf course. Round 2 is Friday in St. Louis. The BMW Championship preview at Bellerive already laid out the $20 million purse and the 30 Tour Championship spots. Thursday put names on the board.

Rory McIlroy BMW Championship Round 1, and the five-way tie

CBS had the clubhouse picture at 6 under: McIlroy, Woodland, Clark, Spaun, Gotterup. Woodland posted the first 64, with five birdies, a hole-out eagle from 97 yards on the par-4 11th, and a closing bogey. He started the week 31st in the FedEx Cup, just outside the East Lake cut, and CBS said a week like this strongly favors him making the top 30. Clark birdied five of his last six after a quiet 12 holes. Gotterup and Spaun joined them at 64. McIlroy started the week 13th in the standings, CBS said, and needed a big week to climb. A share of the 18-hole lead is the start.

The course was gettable. CBS said the scoring average sat around 2 under and that 19 players were within three shots of the lead. Ryo Hisatsune and Matt Fitzpatrick were a shot back at 5 under. Ludvig Aberg, Alex Fitzpatrick, Michael Thorbjornsen, and Jacob Bridgeman sat at 4 under. Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay, who began the week 44th and 43rd, posted 3-under 67s. Bellerive is a par 70. A 64 is six under, not seven. Keep that straight when the live boards start flying Friday.

Scottie Scheffler is eight back, and the bubble is loud

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion and last week's winner, was the other plot. CBS said he made four bogeys in five holes on the front nine, sat last on the board at one point, and finished T44 at 2 over, eight shots behind McIlroy. He is already locked into East Lake at No. 1. McIlroy is trying to look like McIlroy again. FanDuel, via CBS, installed him as the 4-1 favorite overnight, with Gotterup and Clark at 15/2.

For the guys on the cut line, Thursday was not enough by itself. CBS said Hisatsune's 65 from 45th in the standings only projected him to 39th. Thomas would project 26th from T12. Jake Knapp started 36th and would climb to 29th from 4 under. Soft greens mean you have to keep going low or the bubble does not move. Rory McIlroy's BMW Championship 64 just raised the bar for everyone else.

Rory McIlroy BMW Championship FAQ

What did Rory McIlroy shoot at the BMW Championship? A bogey-free 6-under 64 in Round 1 on Thursday, sharing the lead, per CBS Sports.

Who is leading the BMW Championship after Round 1? McIlroy, Gary Woodland, Wyndham Clark, J.J. Spaun, and Chris Gotterup are tied at 6 under, CBS reported.

Where is the 2026 BMW Championship? Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, the second FedEx Cup Playoffs event. Round 2 is Friday. The top 30 after Sunday go to the Tour Championship.