McIlroy seizes one-shot lead at WGC-Mexico

MEXICO CITY: Rory McIlroy fired seven birdies and one sensational eagle on the way to an eight-under par 63 and a one-shot lead over Dustin Johnson at the WGC-Mexico Championship on Thursday.

Former world number one McIlroy, now ranked eighth in the world as he seeks his first win since the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March, belted a 2-iron 307 yards at Club de Golf Chapultepec’s par-four first — his 10th hole of the day.

It hit the front of the green and threatened the hole, McIlroy eventually making a six-footer for eagle.

“My 3-iron probably carries this week somewhere around 300 yards, and it was playing around 295 to the front, so I knew I needed to take a little off and hit a little cut down there,” McIlroy said. “Nice to start the back nine like that.”

His only miscue on the day was a bogey at the sixth, but he rebounded with a 20-foot putt for birdie at his penultimate hole, the eighth, to lead 2017 champion Johnson by one stroke.

Johnson had seven birdies without a bogey in his 64 and was two shots clear of Justin Thomas and Matt Kuchar.

Tiger Woods received a rapturous welcome from fans on the first tee, where he was introduced for his first competitive start in Mexico as “Tiger! Tiger! Tiger Woods”.Woods then promptly hit his tee shot out-of-bounds on the way to an opening double bogey.