Summary Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy shared the opening round lead at the BMW Championship on Thursday.
PHILADELPHIA (AFP) - Tiger Woods fired his lowest opening round in nearly 20 years to join Northern Ireland s Rory McIlroy at the top of the leaderboard at the BMW Championship on Thursday.
The 14-time major winner Woods and McIlroy have a one-stroke lead after both shot eight-under 62 which marked the American s best PGA first round since the 1999 Byron Nelson Classic.
Woods managed an eagle and seven birdies and his only hiccup being a late bogey on his back nine at the Aronimink Golf Course in Philadelphia.
Woods was joined in the lead by McIlroy who highlighted his round of 10 birdies with a career-best six in succession, beginning with the last hole of his front nine.
McIlroy though let slip any thoughts of a 59 when he bogeyed his 16th and 17th holes of the round.
This is the first time Woods has shared a PGA Tour lead after any round since capturing the 2013 WGC-Cadillac Championship.
Woods and McIlroy had played a nine-hole practice round together on Tuesday.
"I made a few putts today and also from right out of the gate with birdies at 10 and 12 and 13 so that was a nice way to get things rolling," said Woods, who started on the back nine.
Woods had ignited thoughts of his career first 59 after an outward nine that produced a seventh hole eagle and four birdies in a six-under par 29.
It is the sixth occasion in Woods career he s recorded nine holes in 29 or better, and on four of those five prior occasions he has gone on to win.
Woods moved to seven-under par with a birdie at his 10th hole. He then parred his next five holes ahead of a 16th hole birdie before his only bogey at his 17th. He also birdied 18.
"I made some great putts out there today including getting off to a better start than I have most of the season," he said.
"To shoot 29 on the front nine helps. It helped a lot."
Woods clearly looked refreshed after electing not to visit the course on Wednesday. He also skipped the Pro-Am due to the heatwave conditions.
"The heat is hard for me because I lose so much weight out here," said Woods. "I lose strength and I lose power and endurance."
McIlroy had been a shot clear of Woods at nine-under par after 15 holes when Woods headed for the clubhouse.
McIlroy pared his 15th but three-putted for bogey both his seventh and eighth holes before a consolation birdie at the last.
"What was worst was just not giving myself a better chance to shoot the 59," he said.
"I can accept a bogey on a hole like on the eighth (17th) hole and the bogey on seven wasn t good, but you don t get many opportunities to break 60 and today was one of them and I didn t capitalize."
American Xander Schauffele, who hopes to secure the last spot on the USA Ryder Cup team, is in third place with a 63, while Rickie Fowler, who played alongside Woods, returned from injury to shoot a 65.
