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Shane Lowry hits from the seventh tee during the first round of the BMW Championship golf tournament in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
The threat of thunderstorms stopped play at BMW Championship in Caves Valley GC, but Shane Lowry managed to beat the weather warning and finish with a respectable level-par 70.
The Clara ace got off to a blistering start, posting three birdies in his opening three holes before dropping a shot on the par four seventh. Another bogey followed on the 10th and while he bounced back with a birdie on the following hole, he undid his good early work with a poor finish.
Three bogeys on a four-stretch hole were interspersed with a birdie on the par 5 sixteenth, but he missed a 12-footer for birdie on the 18th.
Scottie Scheffler also began his round with three birdies in three holes before stalling mid-round to be one-under after 14 holes.
Playing partner Rory McIlroy struggled off the tee and was two-over after six holes. However, the Holywood ace recovered with some good approach play to record back-to-back birdies at the turn and was level par after 14 holes, when players were called in.
Viktor Hovland was the clubhouse leader on three-under after birdieing two of his last three holes for a 67. Out on the course Rickie Fowler was also three-under after 12 holes, having gone on a birdie blitz around the turn.
Meanwhile, Marco Penge set a new course record to earn a two-shot lead at the Danish Golf Championship. The Englishman was blemish-free in his seven-under-par 64 after recording an eagle and five birdies during the first round at Fureso Golf Klub.
Penge needed to birdie the 18th hole during the second round of the Genesis Championship last October to ensure his playing rights for this season, and hasn’t looked back since. Home favourite Rasmus Hojgaard carded eight birdies, a double bogey and a bogey shot to surge into a share of second place at five-under alongside Francesco Molinari.
