Ludvig Åberg Shares Lead After Disrupted BMW PGA Championship Opening Day
Ludvig Åberg has claimed a share of the lead following a weather-interrupted first day at the BMW PGA Championship, where Rory McIlroy faced a disappointing end to his round at Wentworth.
Åberg bounced back from a bogey on the opening hole to achieve nine birdies, finishing with a first-round score of 64. He is tied at the top with France’s Tom Vaillant, who set the initial clubhouse target by carding six birdies in the final seven holes, bringing him to eight under par.
South Africa’s Casey Jarvis is just one stroke behind in third place, while Matt Fitzpatrick trails by two shots. Key Ryder Cup teammates, including Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, and Shane Lowry, are within three strokes of the early leaders after recording five-under 67s.
Lowry played alongside McIlroy, who bogeyed the par-five last hole, finishing with a score of three-under 69. Jon Rahm, who was in the same high-profile group, salvaged his round with three birdies in the last four holes, ending up one-under 71.
The afternoon session was disrupted for 85 minutes due to potential thunderstorms, causing 30 players to leave their rounds unfinished when play was unfortunately suspended shortly after 7:30 p.m. due to darkness.
Mixed Results for Ryder Cup Contenders
Eleven out of twelve members of Europe’s Ryder Cup team are participating in this flagship DP World Tour event ahead of the forthcoming clash with Team USA at Bethpage Black later this month. McIlroy was among the favorites, aiming to build on his dramatic success at the Amgen Irish Open.
Despite a rocky finish, McIlroy had a promising start with birdies early on. He was poised for a strong finish but ended up bogeying the last hole after an errant approach shot, finishing the day at four-under.
