LOUISVILLE, KentUcky // On a soggy day at the PGA Championship in Valhalla, Rory McIlroy put himself in a familiar position: the lead.
The overwhelming favourite from Northern Ireland started on the back side after a 50-minute rain delay on Friday, made a couple of early birdies, then claimed the outright lead for the first time when he rolled in a 30-foot eagle putt at the 18th hole.
McIlroy led by a stroke when he squandered a chance for his second eagle at No. 7, after sticking his second shot from 243 yards just eight feet shy of the flag.
He ended up tapping in for a birdie that left him at 8-under, two strokes ahead of Ryan Palmer, who was in the clubhouse at 135 after shooting a 1-under 70.
McIlroy is going for his third straight win and fourth major title. He won the PGA Championship at Kiawah in 2012.
Steve Stricker – a 47-year-old, part-time player who was picked as an assistant US Ryder Cup captain this week – showed he has still got plenty of game. He made four birdies on his first nine holes, giving him a share of the lead until McIlroy claimed it for himself on what was shaping up to be a long day.
A steady rain forced officials to suspend the round after just 20 minutes because of too much water on the putting surfaces and fairways. Work crews already were using squeegees on the greens when another burst of showers hit Valhalla.
Play was halted as Palmer was playing the first hole.
There was more rain in the forecast, raising the possibility the second round would not be completed.
Adding to the difficulty of a soggy course, players had to contend with mud.
Championship director Kerry Haigh said the ball was to be played as it lies – the players will not be allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls through the green as often happens in regular tour events.
He said no consideration was given to restarting the second round using preferred lies. Once a round begins under one set of conditions, it cannot change. Haigh did not see the need.
“We are playing the ball down,” Haigh said.
“Once we start the round, we will not change. Really, there was no consideration to that. The fairways are good and the Rules of Golf allow for relief if the ball is in casual water.”
While rain softened the greens, it also made the course longer.
Palmer came up short of the green from out of the rough on the 504-yard second hole, though he pitched to two feet to save par.
“I wasn’t sure we should have teed off when we did,” said Palmer. “I could barely see the fairway on one.
“Fairways are not rolling at all. You are going to need a lot of mid-to-long irons. Even par is a good round today, so it’s nice to get under par.”
McIlroy typically enjoys soft conditions. That was the case at Firestone last week, and he said he was “licking his lips” when he saw the course.
McIlroy rallied from a three-shot deficit to win the World Golf Championship tournament last week, his second straight victory after a wire-to-wire triumph at Royal Liverpool in the British Open.
McIlroy won his first major at rain-softened Congressional in the 2011 US Open with a record score of 16-under 268.
He is off to another good start at rainy Valhalla.
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