"McIlroy, Harman Lead BMW Championship at a Soft Olympia Fields"

Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman share the lead at the BMW Championship after both shooting 5-under 65s in the first round.

The BMW Championship got off to a thrilling start at Olympia Fields in Illinois, with Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman sharing the lead after the first round. Despite hitting only three fairways, McIlroy managed to shoot a bogey-free 65, thanks in part to the soft greens caused by a rain delay. McIlroy even found himself in a tricky situation on the 17th hole, with trees and a bunker blocking his path to the green. However, he managed to punch a 7-iron through a gap in the branches, chip it over the green, and then chip in for birdie. Harman, on the other hand, finished his round in style with a 40-foot birdie putt on the 16th and a chip-in birdie on the 17th. They were one shot ahead of a group of players at 66, including Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sahith Theegala, and Rickie Fowler. Scheffler, who has struggled with his putting recently, was relieved to see his putts drop, while Fowler has a chance to secure a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team with a win. Fitzpatrick and Theegala are both aiming to make it into the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings to qualify for the Tour Championship. Fitzpatrick, currently ranked 40th, needs a good finish to salvage a disappointing year, while Theegala, ranked 31st, knows he needs to perform well to secure his spot. Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young shot 67 and are hoping to improve their Ryder Cup chances, while Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay, and Jordan Spieth are at 68. Lucas Glover, who has won the last two tournaments, shot 70. The conditions at Olympia Fields were a far cry from last year, when the course was dry and firm. This year, heavy rain caused a two-hour delay and left the rough long and wet. The soft greens made it difficult to control the distance of shots, but McIlroy took advantage of the situation by playing aggressively off the tee. He hopes that the wind and sun will dry out the course and make it play more to his liking in the coming days.