Rory McIlroy enjoying ‘new chapter' with new bagman Harry Diamond

Rory McIlroy shrugged off a closing three-putt bogey and declared his opening 67 in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational with new bagman Harry Diamond as the start of a new chapter in his career.

Despite hitting a wedge 50 feet past the pin at his final hole and then missing from four feet for par, McIlroy looked close to best as he finished just two shots behind early leader Thomas Pieters at Firestone Country Club.

There were a few incidents of mis-clubbing, but as he was pulling the clubs and double-checking his yardages, he took those errors on the chin and insisted his game is trending in the right direction as he counts down to the final major of the season next week. “There were a couple of times where I probably should have hit another club, but that’s on me, that’s not on anyone else,” McIlroy said. “So I’d much rather be frustrated at my own decision than someone else’s.”