Day 1 of the BMW PGA Championship saw Ludvig Åberg and Tom Vaillant sharing the lead after impressive rounds at Wentworth. Åberg recovered from an early bogey to post a stunning 64, while Vaillant surged ahead with six birdies in his last seven holes. Rory McIlroy had a mixed bag, finishing with a frustrating bogey on the last hole after finding water. Watch how Europe’s Ryder Cup stars performed as they gear up for Bethpage later this month. Get all the highlights, key moments, and analysis from the opening round right here. Don’t miss out on the action!
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In a dramatic start to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, Ludvik Aubberg has taken an early share of the lead after a day of interruptions from unsettled weather. While Rory Mroy faced a disappointing end to his opening round, Aubberg’s round was a tale of resilience. After stumbling with a bogey on the very first hole, he bounced back impressively, recording nine birdies to card a stunning 64. This brought him level at the top alongside Franc’s Tom Viant who had set the pace earlier with a strong finish of six birdies in seven holes, finishing eight under par. Just behind them, South African player Casey Jarvis is one shot a drift in third place. And Matt Fitzpatrick also finds himself in contention, two strokes behind the leaders. Sharing the chase, Ryder Cup teammates Victor Havland, Justin Rose, and Shane Lowry each posted a solid 5 under 67, keeping the competition fierce early on. Now, here’s where it gets controversial and perhaps overlooked. Miklroyy’s round started promisingly, marked by an impressive chip in from off the first green and a confident birdie at the fourth hole. But despite showing flashes of brilliance like a 12t birdie putt at the 10th, his momentum slipped dramatically on the back nine. His round concluded with a bogey on the final par five after his approach found the water hazard, leaving many to question whether the pressure of trying to chase down the leaders is starting to weigh on the world number two. The day’s play was further complicated by an 85inute weather delay triggered by potential thunderstorms, which ultimately left 30 players unable to finish their rounds before darkness forced the suspension of play shortly after 7:30 p.m. This means the leaderboard remains somewhat tentative, adding an extra layer of suspense moving into the second round. Looking closer at Europe’s RDER Cup squad, 11 of the 12 players are competing here at the flagship DP World Tour event, preparing for their showdown against Team USA at Beth Page Black later this month. Mroy, fresh from a thrilling victory at the Anen Irish Open on Sunday, is undoubtedly the headline act. Yet his stuttering finish today raises important questions about his consistency under pressure. On the other hand, Shane Lowry, who played alongside Mroy, had a much steadier finish, climbing to five under par thanks to a trio of birdies late in the day, including capitalizing on both closing par fives. John Rom completing that star-studded trio with Mroy and Lowry also showed grit by salvaging a one under 71. Despite being two over through the rounds middle portion and even involved in a lengthy rules discussion, Rahm’s stunning 35 ft putt for par at the 13th sparked a rally of three consecutive birdies to end the day under par. Other notable performances include Robert McIntyre finishing one underpar while Tommy Fleetwood struggled to a 73 and young Rasmus Hoygard ending one behind Fleetwood despite an electrifying birdie eagle sequence to close. Interestingly, Rasmus’ twin brother, Nikolai Hoygard, had a rough day, carding a quadruple bogey nine on the 17th hole, leaving him tied for last place after a tough opening round of 78. Play is set to resume early Friday with the second round beginning at 6:40 a.m. and the completion of the first round scheduled from 7:45 a.m. This means fans will be treated to a non-stop golf feast as the leaderboard reshuffles and players fight to position themselves in the hunt for the prestigious BMW PGA Championship title. The question remains, will Ludvig Aberg maintain his remarkable form? Or can Rory Mroy find his rhythm and mount a comeback in this unpredictable tournament? And what does today’s weather chaos and fluctuating leaderboard tell us about the mental toughness required at this elite level? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you agree that Mroyy’s finish is a sign of pressure catching up or was it simply an unlucky day? Share your opinions in the comments and join the conversation as the tournament unfolds. Live coverage continues throughout the week on Sky Sports Golf with the featured groups teeing off from 8:30 a.m. on Friday and full coverage starting at midday. For those without Sky, streaming options are available for watching the action uninterrupted.
