BMW Championship: Lowry's Route 66 as McIlroy makes 'pedestrian' start 

Shane Lowry birdies 18 to post an opening round of 66 at the DP World Tour's flagship event at Wentworth

ROUTE 66: Ireland's Shane Lowry begins his BMW challenge at Wentworth with an opening 66.

IRISH pair Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy have got off to a promising start to the BMW Championship at Wentworth. 

Shane Lowry is best placed after a six-birdie, bogey-free round of 66 (-6) to lie two shots behind early day one leader Tommy Fleetwood, who carded an 8-under-par 64 to set a testing clubhouse target. 

Lowry made gains on No 11, 15 and 18 where he rolled in a fifteen-foot putt for four after coming out of the fairway bunker on the iconic par 5.

McIlroy, despite making a steady start, admitted he struggled with the "wet and juicy" rough at Wentworth as he posted an opening 68 at Wentworth.

"It's so wet, so receptive, it's target practice out there, there are preferred lies so you can go low. 

"I felt I was pretty pedestrian out there, I didn't do a lot right, or a lot wrong, but it will be very gettable for the rest of the week.

STEADY START: Ireland's Rory McIlroy. 

After barely moving the ball from the deep rough with a full swing on No 8, McIlroy explained: (Caddie) Harry did say to me 'are you not worried about this bank in front of you', but I went straight into it. However I managed to get away with a bogey after hitting a really good third in there," he told Sky Sports. 

"I haven't played with rough this juicy and wet in quite a while."

Meanwhile, the best round so far from the LIV contingent saw Mexico's Abraham Ancer post a 68.