Rory McIlroy isn’t letting the drama in his personal life impact his golf game.
McIlroy got off to a strong start at the PGA Championship on Thursday morning at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
McIlroy, who confirmed he was divorcing wife Erica Stoll after seven years of marriage earlier this week, birdied No. 10 — his opening hole — and No. 13 to quickly get to 2-under.
It was a star-studded leaderboard to start the day for the year’s second major, with Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth also off to hot starts among the early tee times.
“Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed. They stressed Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible,” his manager, Sean O’Flaherty, said in a statement after the news broke on Tuesday.
McIlroy, following a warning from a PGA Tour moderator, was not asked about the divorce during a 10-minute press conference on Wednesday.
When asked how he was doing personally, McIlroy said he was “ready to play this week.”
And that has proven true in the early going, with McIlroy converting two impressive approach shots into birdies.
McIlroy, though, did bogey 17 to put a bit of a dent on the impressive start.
McIlroy has won this event twice before, most recently in 2014 — the last time the PGA Championship was played at Valhalla.
McIlroy came into this week’s event as the second favorite behind Masters champ Scottie Scheffler.
The 35-year-old Northern Irishman has earned back-to-back victories at the Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship leading into the major.