‘Pretty pedestrian’ – Rory McIlroy in contention as Tommy Fleetwood makes sizzling start to BMW PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy made a solid start to the BMW PGA Championship, as he sits four shots adrift of leader Tommy Fleetwood.

Playing in horrible conditions, with heavy showers drenching the early starters at Wentworth, McIlroy carded a 68 to sit at four-under.

McIlroy was alongside defending champion Billy Horschel and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick in a stellar three-ball.

Fitzpatrick made a lightning start with back-to-back birdies, but slipped in the middle of his round only to finish well to get to three-under.

Horschel cruised round a course he loves to put himself firmly in contention at four-under.

“I thought I played okay,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “The rain was on and off all day and that made it tricky.

“The course is so soft, it is so receptive. It is target practice out there. If you are in the fairway, it is ball in hand with preferred lies, you can go low.

“I felt four-under was pretty pedestrian. I did not do a lot right, I did not do a lot wrong. I definitely feel the course is very gettable for the rest of the week.”

McIlroy narrowly missed a birdie putt on the first, but got his round moving forwards with a birdie on five and followed it up on six.

McIlroy’s length and accuracy off the tee mean he can gobble up the par fives and he made easy work of the 520-yard 12th as a birdie took him to two-under.

A brilliant drive and exquisite approach on 16 crafted a fourth birdie of the round for McIlroy to get him to three-under.

McIlroy went within a whisker of an eagle on 18, but a tap-in birdie secured a round of 68.

In his first appearance since the Open Championship in July, Fleetwood made an excellent start. Playing alongside Shane Lowry, the Englishman carded a brilliant 64 to get to eight-under.

Lowry, who has an excellent record at Wentworth, made a bogey-free round of 66.

Matthew Jordan was in the second group out on the course and got round in 65 to set the early clubhouse lead before being over.