Rory McIlroy: Former number one in the world gets club because 73 takes him nine of the Zozo Championship pace

Rory Mcllroy suffered his second consecutive poor back nine Rory Mcllroy suffered his second consecutive poor back nine

 -8   S Munoz (Col);   -7   T Hatton (Eng), J Thomas (USA)   Selected:   -5   J Rose ( Spooky);   -4   J Rahm (Spa);   -3   P. Casey (Eng), M Fitzpatrick (Eng);   -2   T Fleetwood (Eng);   +1   R McIlroy (NI);   +4   T Woods (USA)  
  Rory McIlroy completed an error driven back nine on the first day of the Zozo Championship by one of his irons to break after a bad shot on the 18.  
 
  The Northern Irishman was three under par on the corner, but two double bogeys and three bogeys left him nine behind the leader, Sebastian Munoz from Colombia. ] 
 
  One of the double bogeys came on the 18th when he hit a one-over-par 73.  
 
  England's Tyrrell Hatton continued his good streak of form when 65 let him share second place with Justin Thomas.  
 
  Fellow Englishman Justin Rose is fifth below and is equal to ninth, while fellow countrymen Paul Casey and Matthew Fitzpatrick are two shots back at three below.  
 
  McIlroy & # 39; s frustrations boiled over after missing the green with his thirst shot at the par-four 18th at Sherwood Country Club in California. He pushed his club into the ground until the shaft broke, then made a few practice swings with it as he marched toward the green.  
 
  The four-time major also suffered a scorching back nine in Sunday's final round at the CJ Cup in Las Vegas when he dropped six shots in his final holes to descend from a likely top-10 finish to a share of 21st place.  
 
  Defending Champion Tiger Woods, preparing for his Masters title defense in three weeks, had an even more cathartic day in California when a four-over-par 76 dropped him into 75th place share with only Adam Long behind him in the 78-man field.  
 
  Woods, who took five wins and five runners-up at Sherwood, leveled Sam Snead's record for 82 PGA Tour wins by winning this event when it was held in Japan last year kept. This year's tournament is being played in the US due to the coronavirus pandemic.