• Grand Slam of Golf, Round One

McIlroy & Bradley stand toe-to-toe in Grand Slam of Golf

Darren Clarke was overshadowed on day one of the Grand Slam of Golf © Getty Images

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US Open winner Rory McIlroy is in contention to cap a fine year by winning the Grand Slam of Golf, after Keegan Bradley failed to maintain a flying start on day one in Bermuda.

The four-man tournament, featuring the winners of this year's majors, is played over two rounds for a first prize of $600,000. By no means the biggest cash pot on the PGA Tour, the Grand Slam of Golf is more about the prestige, and McIlroy is currently tied with Bradley on four-under-par.

Winner of the US PGA Championship, Bradley led at the Port Royal Golf Course until the penultimate hole where McIlroy found birdie to level. Open Championship victor Darren Clarke was left well back on six-over, while Charl Schwartzel was only three shots better off.

Having bogeyed the first hole, Bradley's round caught fire at the second as he carded the first of two eagles on the front nine. Showing a clear liking for the longer holes, Bradley eagled both par-fives ahead of the turn as he reached the 10th in 30 strokes.

However, a bogey at 14 halted the American's progress, and another dropped shot at 16 truly opened the door to a McIlroy comeback, despite the Northern Irishman falling four strokes behind at one stage of the round.

McIlroy could only watch and admire early on as he got off to an altogether more understated start, reaching the turn on two-under. The youngster then mixed birdies with bogeys between 11 and 14, but he found some form with his putter at 15 and 17 that saw him close the gap on Bradley.

Masters winner Schwartzel was going well until he reached the 12th, where three consecutive bogeys sent him back to one-over. A triple-bogey then completely destroyed the South African's challenge at the tricky par-three 16th.

Clarke's campaign was over almost before it had begun after three bogeys in the first four holes, leaving him eight shots off the leader by the time he reached the inward nine. Like Schwartzel, he also triple-bogeyed 16 to drop to the bottom of the leaderboard.

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