Aaron Rai and Joakim Lagergren surge to the top after identical six-under 66s, showcasing clutch finishes that Rory McIlroy could have used—despite his own strong start with five birdies on the back nine. McIlroy’s front nine woes, including bogeys from trees, bunkers, and water, left him at 69, tied for 19th, though he saw encouraging signs in his game. Adam Scott sits one shot back after a resilient 67, recovering from an out-of-bounds drive on 17, while Ludvig Åberg, Ryan Gerard, and Nacho Elvira trail closely—though Åberg’s double bogey on 15 dents his momentum. Jon Rahm’s dismal 78, his worst non-major score since 2021, leaves him struggling. Rai, rebounding from a lone bogey on 16 with a birdie on 17, and Lagergren, turning a bogey on 9 into an eagle on 12, both dominated the par-fives and thrived under windy, rainy conditions to seize control of the leaderboard.
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https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2026/09/17/round-1-bmw-pga-championship-scores-results-leaderboard-rory-mcilroy-aaron-rai-wentworth-club
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