Slow starting McIlroy could have had ‘extra hours in bed’, jokes Lowry

Zurich Classic – first-round leaderboard

-14 I Salinda & K Velo (US); -13 R Hojgaard & N Hojgaard (Den); -11 K Kitayama & C Morikawa (US), C Davis & A Svensson (Aus/Can), P Peterson & K Ventura (US/Nor)

Selected: -10 M Wallace & T Olesen (Eng/Den); -9 A Rai & S Theegala (Eng/US); -8 R McIlroy & S Lowry (NI/Ire), L Donald & C Villegas (Eng/Col), R MacIntyre & T Detry (Sco/Bel)

Rory McIlroy and partner Shane Lowry are six off the pace after an opening eight-under-par 64 as they began the defence of their Zurich Classic title.

In his first competitive round since winning the Masters and completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy struggled on the opening nine as Lowry kept them in contention.

The pair started at the 10th and McIlroy said he “didn’t do anything” before improving after the turn when he birdied the first and eagled the second.

“Shane joked I could have got a couple extra hours in bed if I wanted to,” said McIlroy.

“I played a bit better coming in. It was OK.”

“We felt like we left a few shots out there but we were just saying the two foursomes days on Friday and Sunday here are the important days in this tournament,” added McIlroy, 35.

“It’s important for us to obviously post a good score tomorrow.”

Collin Morikawa and fellow US player Kurt Kitayama are in the group sharing third place after a 61, with England’s Matt Wallace and Danish partner Thorbjorn Olesen a further stroke back.

England’s Aaron Rai and American Sahith Theegala shot a 63 with the pairings of Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and Belgium’s Thomas Detry and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas sharing 28th spot with McIlroy and Lowry.

The fourball element of the tournament sees both players hitting their own ball with the best score counting, while players take alternate shots with one ball in the foursomes.