'A weird feeling' - McIlroy on breaking club

Rory McIlroy overcame nan "weird feeling" of breaking a nine mid-shot during his five-under-par opening 67 astatine nan PGA Championship astatine Wentworth connected Thursday.

Despite nan bizarre incident connected nan par-five 12th, wherever nan clubhead flew disconnected connected impact, nan world number 3 went connected to prime up a changeable astatine nan hole.

It was 1 of 7 birdies he recorded successful information 1 of nan tournament, pinch only dropped shots astatine 7 and 18 denying him a bogey-free round.

"I deed a 9 robust connected nan ninth and I looked astatine it and it looked for illustration nan ferrule was coming loose, but it was nan caput attached to nan shaft," said McIlroy.

"I didn't realise it erstwhile I deed nan changeable connected 12 and it was a weird feeling.

"You're expecting nan weight of nan nine to propulsion done and location was thing there."

His attack changeable astatine nan 12th still vanished six feet from nan hole, enabling nan four-time awesome champion to unafraid a birdie.

"Thankfully nan shot went wherever I wanted it to - it could person been a batch worse," McIlroy said.

An eventful first information besides saw him putt left-handed astatine 1 point, while his tee changeable connected nan 17th bounced retired of nan trees, and he besides deed his attack to nan 18th retired of bounds.

Last week's Irish Open runner-up is aiming to repetition his only erstwhile occurrence successful nan PGA Championship backmost successful 2014 and besides make a further move towards clinching a sixth DP World Tour Race to Dubai crown.

"Five under, I would person taken that astatine nan commencement of nan day, particularly because nan upwind is getting up and nan closing agelong is playing beautiful tough," McIlroy said.

"I played good and it was a spot of a continuation of what I was emotion past week."

McIlroy mislaid retired by 1 changeable to Dane Rasmus Hojgaard astatine Royal County Down past weekend, having enjoyed a four-shot lead astatine 1 constituent during nan last round.

"Getting connected to a people - playing RCD for 4 days and coming present feels for illustration getting a spot of breather and a spot much room to play," McIlroy added.

"It's bully to consciousness a spot much state disconnected nan tee. It was a coagulated start."