CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy insisted he didn’t play that well.
That could be a bad omen for the rest of the Wells Fargo Championship field the rest of the week considering the 5-under McIlroy posted in Thursday’s opening round at Quail Hollow to take a share of the tournament lead with Joel Dahmen.
“I didn’t play my best,’’ he said. “I felt sort of scrappy. I made the most of what I had and made some good putts. I sort of managed my game well, scrambled well, but it added up to a good number at the end of the day.’’
Indeed, McIlroy, who won this tournament in 2010 (his first PGA Tour victory) and 2015, started sluggishly, making the turn in even par. Then came birdies on Nos. 10, 11, 14, 15 and 16. McIlroy is a notoriously streaky player and if he keeps it going this week, it would be a runaway.
Thursday was McIlroy’s first competitive round since the Masters. He and Dahmen are trailed by Patrick Reed, Martin Laird, Adam Schenk, Nick Taylor and Dylan Fritelli, all of whom are 4-under. Defending champion Jason Day is 3-under, as are Jason Dufner, Brian Harmon, Keith Mitchell, John Senden and several others.
McIlroy said a strength of his game has become his ability to turn a mediocre round into a good one.
“Get the most out of your round, turn 70s into 66s like I did [Thursday],’’ he said. “I felt like I should have shot 1- or 2-under.’’
He called the 2010 win, his first as a pro, “definitely one of the most enjoyable.’’
“Winning on the PGA Tour for the first time is a big deal,’’ he said. “It’s sort of a life-changer. You step up to one of the strongest fields. At the time I think there was like Angel Cabrera and Phil Mickelson up there on that leaderboard, and to win a golf tournament with those guys on the leaderboard felt pretty good.
“It’s a fun golf course, a golf course that I feel very comfortable on. I’ve got some great memories here. Every time I step onto this golf course, I feel like I have a chance to shoot a good score.’’