Aaron Rai shrugs off early nerves to outshine playing partner Rory McIlroy

What do you get for shooting 60 in a pro-am? Just ask Rory McIlroy. “Nothing,” said the Masters champion. “Besides a social media post I didn’t want.” McIlroy was laughing but the underlying sentiment was obvious; exceptional rounds are best saved for the real stuff.

News that McIlroy had taken only 60 shots around Wentworth’s West Course while in the company of celebrities was a hot topic for conversation going in to this PGA Championship. McIlroy shrugged off the score as something he produces fairly regularly. “It doesn’t mean anything,” he added. “My playing partners were happy, they won something.”

However, this would have done nothing to improve the state of mind of Aaron Rai. The 31-year-old may be a major champion on account of heroics in this year’s US PGA Championship but he admitted to trepidation about playing in McIlroy’s company at Wentworth. Not that Rai displayed any sense of fear; his 66 outscored McIlroy by three. Ryan Fox, the other member of this illustrious group, signed for a 68. Day one honours belonged to the popular Rai.

“I felt really nervous,” said Rai. “I can’t remember feeling that nervous on a Thursday. It’s an amazing experience to be playing with the likes of Rory.

“I definitely thought about it before we started today, a bit this morning and a bit the last couple of days when I found out what the draw was. Obviously it’s really amazing to be out there with Ryan and Rory. I am just really pleased that I got into the round pretty fast and that I continued to play well.

“It’s a place that I’ve enjoyed even before I even competed in the event here. I used to come here as a junior and watch the event and absolutely love it. I’ve started to play really well here over the last three or four years or so. So it’s a place that I enjoy and it’s always good coming here.” Indeed, Rai’s score tied the early lead with Joakim Lagergren.

McIlroy remains in the middle of technical changes as he seeks to remove bad habits from his swing. “It definitely still looks better on the range than it does when I get out there on the course,” said the Northern Irishman. “But over time, if I just keep to what I’m doing, it will hopefully start to bed in.” McIlroy had been five under inside 10 holes before having to settle for minus three.

Patrick Reed’s 68 was significant as he looks to hold off McIlroy in the DP World Tour’s season-long order of merit. Reed and McIlroy have jousted in plenty of environments before, yet on this occasion the American insists it is not personal.

“Any time I get to go play against Rory, it’s always fun because that means you get to play some amazing golf,” Reed said. “With his record and the résumé that he has, he’s a champion. He’s been a champion a ton of times and he’s one of those guys that if you go up against the best, you’re going to have to take him and Scottie [Scheffler] on. To have the opportunity to take him on throughout the whole rest of the year is going to be fun.” Reed insisted if he denies McIlroy what would be a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title, he will only be delaying the inevitable.

McIlroy has no fears about ending the DP World Tour’s season in the United Arab Emirates. Matt Fitzpatrick admitted on Wednesday he is not comfortable with participating in events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. “If the local governments feel like it’s safe to put on these events, they are not going to put their citizens or people visiting in harm’s way,” said McIlroy. “I love the Middle East. I have a lot of friends there and I’m looking forward to going back for sure.”