Rory McIlroy got off to a really solid start at the Genesis Invitational on Thursday after firing a first-round 66 at Riviera.
McIlroy dropped only one shot on day one of the Genesis Invitational, and accompanied that with six birdies.
Before the Genesis Invitational got underway, McIlroy made it clear he was not a fan of the change to the fourth hole at Riviera.
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However, he went on to birdie that hole on day one.
McIlroy shot five-under-par and is trailing the current leader, Aaron Rai, by one stroke.
The five-time major champion should be full of confidence heading into the final three rounds of the Genesis Invitational.
After his first round, McIlroy shared how he feels about his game in general right now.
Rory McIlroy says he’s getting even better after shooting 66 at Riviera
McIlroy has unquestionably been one of the best golfers over the past 15 years, perhaps even the best as far as his golfing résumé is concerned.
He clearly has a burning desire to compete, and indeed win, and that was on full display at Riviera on Thursday.
After his first round, he was asked by reporters how difficult it was to play Riviera in the wind and rain on Thursday.
“Yeah, I’ve definitely got more comfortable playing in conditions like this over the past few years,“ McIlroy admitted.
“I’ve gotten more comfortable in controlling my ball flight, and controlling my ball flight taking a lot more club, hitting the ball low.
“Yeah, and I’ve started to just really enjoy this style of golf. If you had asked me 10 years ago, I didn’t enjoy these conditions, but it’s been a shift in a mindset and maybe just a continuation of trying to build upon the skill set that I have.
“Then when it does get to conditions like this, I’m a lot more prepared. I wouldn’t say I enjoy them, but I can certainly handle them better. As I said, I haven’t always enjoyed these conditions. I haven’t always — honestly, I haven’t always had the skill set to excel in them.
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“To start to enjoy them and have the shots to succeed on days like this, that’s a really satisfying thing to be able to be, you know, nearly 20 years into a career and still feel like you’re getting better at some aspects of the game.“
Rory McIlroy’s stats from day one of the Genesis Invitational
McIlroy is very well-placed after one round of the Genesis.
Obviously there is a lot of golf still to be played with more than half the field still yet to finish their first rounds due to the three-hour rain delay on Thursday.
The 2025 Masters champion will be very happy with where he’s sitting on the leaderboard right now, but what shape is his game actually in?
| Stats | McIlroy’s rank on day one at the Genesis |
| Strokes gained off the tee | 36 |
| Strokes gained approach | 11 |
| Strokes gained around the greens | 17 |
| Strokes gained putting | 12 |
| Strokes gained total | T2 |
As you can see from those numbers, McIlroy was fairly solid in every single category.
His driving wasn’t up to his usual standards but that is something that comes very naturally to him, and he’ll undoubtedly be back to his best with the big stick on Friday.
The Northern Irishman would love to chalk off a win at Riviera for the first time. It is an iconic venue in the game and he has explained how winning at courses like that is something that motivates him now.
McIlroy made a great start to the Genesis Invitational and his game looks to be in a very good place right now.
The fact that he’s still improving 20 years into his career means that huge success could lie ahead for the 36-year-old, especially in the major championships.
