RBC Canadian Open: Rory McIlroy 4 again as Aaron Rai shares lead and Matt Fitzpatrick impresses

Aaron Rai considered one of 4 gamers tied for the lead on 5 beneath, with Matt Fitzpatrick a shot again on a congested leaderboard; Rory McIlroy 4 off the tempo as he chases third consecutive Canadian Open victory – watch all through the week on Sky Sports activities Golf

England’s Aaron Rai holds a share of the lead after the opening spherical of the RBC Canadian Open, the place US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick additionally began strongly.

Rai recovered from being three over after 5 holes to card a superb five-under 67 on the Oakdale Golf and Nation Membership, seeing him a part of a four-way tie on the high of a congested leaderboard.

The world No 130 had seen an early birdie on the second cancelled out by a double-bogey on the subsequent and back-to-back bogeys from the fourth, solely to bounce again with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the seventh.

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A glance again at one of the best of the motion from Rory McIlroy’s opening-round 71 on the RBC Canadian Open

Rai adopted a two-putt birdie on the par-five twelfth by selecting up a shot on the subsequent and coming near a hole-in-one on the par-three 14th, with additional birdies on the sixteenth and 18th serving to him share high spot with Chesson Hadley, Justin Decrease and Canada’s Corey Conners.

“I performed actually properly total,” Rai mentioned. “Holes three to 6 could be the toughest holes on the course and so they’re all type of back-to-back, which makes it troublesome. However more than happy with how we completed off the spherical after that, how we performed.”

Hadley held the outright benefit till a bogey on the par-three ninth, his ultimate gap, whereas Conners made a bogey-free begin to the week and Decrease eagled the par-five final to finish the quartet on the high.

Fitzpatrick confirmed optimistic indicators forward of subsequent week’s US Open title defence by rolling in 5 birdies on the opening day, with a bogey on his penultimate gap – the 352-yard eighth – leaving him in a share of fifth.

Matt Fitzpatrick is chasing a second PGA Tour win of the season, following his success at April’s RBC Heritage

England’s Justin Rose is 2 off the tempo and Tommy Fleetwood is a part of the group three behind, whereas Rory McIlroy opened his bid for a 3rd consecutive RBC Canadian Open victory with an opening-round 71.

McIlroy combined 5 birdies with 4 bogeys throughout an eventful begin, with the Northern Irishman – who performed alongside Rose – glad to be again specializing in golf after an eventful week within the sport.

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After his opening spherical on the Canadian Open, Rory McIlroy admits his press convention to handle the PGA-LIV merger was essentially the most uncomfortable he is felt up to now 12 months

“Rosie [Justin Rose] and I mentioned, ‘All proper, no chatting till lunch in order that we will really consider what we’re doing on the market,'” McIlroy mentioned. “We began to get in a dialog strolling down the primary (gap) and we’re like, ‘No, let’s cease this. Let’s simply give attention to our golf and we’ll say what we wish to say once we get inside.’

“So, it was good to play a spherical of golf and give attention to one thing else for these 5 hours we have been on the market.”

Watch the RBC Canadian Open all through the week stay on Sky Sports activities. Early protection of the second spherical begins on Friday from noon by way of the crimson button, forward of full protection from 8pm on Sky Sports activities Golf.