Rory McIlroy sits four off lead at weather-delayed BMW Championship

Keegan Bradley, the final player to qualify for the BMW Championship, took the first-round lead on Thursday at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado. Bradley shot an impressive 6-under-par 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.

Bradley’s lead held steady despite a three-hour delay caused by severe thunderstorms, which left eight players unable to complete their rounds. Matsuyama, who finished his final hole after the delay, posted a 5-under 67 to stay just one shot behind Bradley.

Rory McIlroy, who made a 21-foot eagle at the par-5 14th, was 3 under par before the delay. However, upon returning to the course, he missed a 20-foot par putt at the 18th, leading to a bogey and a final score of 2-under 70.

Matsuyama, who won last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship and moved into third place in the FedEx Cup standings, played consistently on Thursday. Meanwhile, Bradley, who barely made it into the BMW Championship at 50th on the points list, delivered a bogey-free round with six birdies, including a crucial 10-footer on the 18th. With playoff events offering four times the points of a regular-season tournament, a win this week would propel Bradley into the top five in the standings.

Reflecting on his performance, Bradley said, “Sunday afternoon was one of the toughest afternoons of my PGA Tour career. It was really brutal. It’s such a relief to be here. I just felt a lot calmer today. But I played really, really well.”

Bradley capitalized on three of the four par-5 holes at the 8,130-yard course, the longest in PGA Tour history due to the thin air at high altitude. “If you put the ball in the fairway, you’re going to have a lot of scoring clubs,” Bradley noted. “You’ve got to really have a good grasp on your numbers with the altitude. We did a good job of that today. You’ve just got to hit as many fairways as you can.”

Tied for third place at 4-under 68 were South Korea’s Sungjae Im, Sweden’s Alex Noren, Australia’s Adam Scott, and Canada’s Corey Conners. Xander Schauffele, Nick Dunlap, and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim each carded a 3-under 69.

World number one and FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler finished with a 1-under 71 and was seen clutching his lower back during his second-to-last hole. Scheffler later explained that he woke up sore on Thursday morning and was “laboring” through his round, though he assured that he is not injured.

Defending BMW Championship and FedEx Cup winner Viktor Hovland of Norway also started with a 71.