Rory McIlroy used four straight birdies early in his opening round Thursday to shoot a 5-under-par 65 and take the midday lead at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

The four-time major winner from Northern Ireland also birdied his final hole to move ahead of Will Zalatoris and Tom Hoge, who shot 4-under 66 during the early wave of golfers. Matt Kuchar and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer were tied for fourth at 3-under 67.

Playing in a group with Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth, McIlroy started on the back nine and dialed up birdies at the 12th through 15th holes. At the par-4 12th, he stuck his second shot inside 2 feet of the pin for a tap-in. Another highlight came at the par-3 14th, where he rolled in a right-to-left birdie putt from 26 feet.

McIlroy added birdies at Nos. 2 and 5 to reach 6 under before giving two shots back with bogeys at two par-3 holes, the sixth and eighth. But at the par-4 ninth, he sank a 19-foot, downhill birdie putt to move back into sole possession of the lead.

McIlroy is a two-time PGA champion (2012, 2014), but since his title in 2014, he has yet to break through and win another major.

Woods started with two birdies in his first five holes before coming apart. He favored his surgically repaired right leg throughout the afternoon. He finished at 4-over 74 after making seven bogeys and one more birdie. Spieth shot a 2-over 72.

Zalatoris counteracted two bogeys with six birdies, including a strong finish with birdies at the seventh and ninth holes. Last season’s PGA Tour Rookie of the Year tied for eighth at the 2021 PGA Championship, shortly after he took second place in his Masters debut.

Hoge collected five birdies and just one bogey. He opened with a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-4 first and had three more birdies inside 6 feet thanks to his approach game. The 32-year-old earned his first career PGA Tour win earlier this year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Notables who had just begun their round in the afternoon wave included the top three players in the world ranking — Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm of Spain and Collin Morikawa — plus Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka.

–Field Level Media

A promising 2-under-par start to Tiger Woods’ first round turned sour with seven bogeys the rest of the way, and the 15-time major winner carded a 4-over 74 on Thursday at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

Woods is competing in his second tournament since a gruesome single-car accident 15 months ago left him with multiple right leg fractures. He placed 47th at the Masters last month in his return to competitive golf.

“I hit a lot of bad iron shots in the middle part of the round and late in the round,” Woods said on the ESPN broadcast. “Consequently, I just never got the ball close for any birdie putts. … I just put myself in bad spots.”

Woods began his day on the back nine playing in a group with Jordan Spieth and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

He hit his approach at the par-4 10th hole to 3 feet to set up an easy birdie. He added a 13-foot birdie at the par-3 14th, but made his first bogey of the day at the following hole.

Woods made the turn at even-par 35 but struggled on his second nine. He recorded three straight bogeys at Nos. 18, 1 and 2 and made just one more birdie the rest of the day, the par-4 third, when his approach landed inside 5 feet of the cup.

On several occasions, Woods hit 2-iron stingers off the tee rather than use his driver. He favored his right leg late in the round and his condition seemed to slow him down.

“It has felt better before,” Woods said of his leg. “It’s a little sore right now and we’ll go back and start the process of getting ready for tomorrow.”

Woods was asked if he knew the television cameras caught him wincing. “My leg is not feeling as good as I’d like it to be,” he answered.

At the par-4 ninth, his closing hole, Woods hit his approach well over the green. His third shot did not make it out of the rough, leading to one last bogey.

Woods won the PGA Championship the last time it was held at Southern Hills, in 2007. After surprising the golf world by playing this year’s Masters and making the cut, he said in the lead-up to this week that he felt his leg was getting stronger.

McIlroy shot a 5-under 65 to take the early lead.

–Field Level Media