World number one Rory McIlroy had an unexpected traffic jam as well as 149 opponents to deal with as he began the defence of his BMW PGA Championship title on Thursday.
McIlroy was among the early starters at Wentworth as he looked to claim a third win in four events, having followed his victory in the WGC-Cadillac Match Play with a third consecutive top-10 finish in the Players Championship and a seven-shot triumph at Quail Hollow on Sunday.
Playing alongside Ryder Cup team-mates Jamie Donaldson and Martin Kaymer, McIlroy got off to a poor start with a bogey on the first, failing to find the green with his approach and missing from 12 feet for par after a poor chip.
To the delight of the large crowds, the 26-year-old quickly made amends with a birdie from 15 feet on the second, before having to wait on the third tee as a number of cars crossed the fairway to reach one of the spectator car parks.
At level par, McIlroy was two shots off the early lead shared by England's Sam Hutsby, South African George Coetzee and Spain's Jorge Campillo, with Lee Westwood one under after also making a birdie on the second.
Scotland's Stephen Gallacher had been forced to withdraw from the event before play began due to a wrist injury, with his replacement Robert Dinwiddie perhaps unsurprisingly starting his round just 30 minutes later with a double bogey on the first.
Source: PA
