Overview

• McIlroy’s bunker shot on the par-5 18th flew over the green, hit the grandstand and bounced back onto the putting surface, setting up a closing birdie.
• He opened with a 4-under 66 to sit T-8 at East Lake after a round that included four birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at the par-5 6th.
• Russell Henley leads after a course-record 9-under 61, with Scottie Scheffler alone in second two shots back and a group at 6-under that includes Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood.
• Johnson Wagner, reporting for Golf Channel, highlighted how maturing greens have allowed officials to push the 16th-hole location closer to the edge and reintroduce a penal “pit” feature.
• Wagner’s caution ties back to McIlroy’s 2024 bogey from the short bunker at No. 16, a reminder that this year’s setup could again turn small mistakes into costly swings.