• BMW Championship, Round One

First round to McIlroy against Woods at Crooked Stick

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods could barely be separated © PA Photos

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Rory McIlroy got the better of Tiger Woods in Thursday's head-to-head at the BMW Championship to claim a share of the first-round lead at Crooked Stick.

McIlroy and Woods set off in the same pairing for the third play-off event of the FedEx Cup, which features a 70-player field. Come the end of Sunday's play, the top 30 in the FedEx rankings will advance to The Tour Championship, where the FedEx Cup champion will be determined.

McIlroy posted an eight-under 64 to lead Woods into day two, but the American is only a stroke back after the pair put on a fascinating duel for the watching public. At the turn both players were locked at four-under, and there were clear signs that they might bring the best out of each other over the coming days.

"I scored today; Rory and I played beautifully," Woods said. "I was very fortunate to post the number that I shot."

Starting on the back nine, Woods looked in greater control of his game as he birdied five of his opening seven holes. McIlroy, by contrast, was only at one-under heading into the 15th - his sixth hole of the day, but a superb eagle closed the gap to his playing partner before a birdie at 18 had them turning on the same score.

Woods pushed ahead again when he moved to six-under through 11, but a bogey at No. 4 brought him back level with McIlroy. The pair were level on five-under with five to play, and six-under with three to play, but McIlroy putted magnificently - requiring 26 swings of the short stick - to find two more birdies at the final two holes to snatch the advantage.

"I'm not going out there trying to beat Tiger or anyone else," the world No. 1 said. "I just try to shoot the best score possible."

McIlroy will head into Friday's play in a share of the lead with Webb Simpson, Bo Van Pelt and Graham DeLaet, with Woods narrowly behind on seven-under. Simpson, a fellow USA Ryder Cup team member of Woods', was particularly impressive - requiring 22 putts in a sublime round.

Of the other American Ryder Cup team members, Zach Johnson was the highest finisher on five-under, with Dustin Johnson a stroke further back before a group including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar all on three-under.

Jason Dufner had the greatest struggle, signing for an even-par 72 that was marginally bettered by Keegan Bradley, who carded a 71.

Among the European Ryder Cup members in action Ian Poulter, selected by Jose Maria Olazabal as one of his Captain's Picks, experienced a mixed day as he blitzed the back nine before toiling on the front end of the course. The Brit flew to five-under through his first ten holes, but then dropped back-to-back bogeys at four and five before settling for a four-under 68.

Justin Rose bettered Poulter's score with a 67, but it was Luke Donald who finished as the highest-scoring Englishman on six-under. Donald made up for his lack of length with accuracy at the challenging Crooked Stick course, hitting over 70 per cent of fairways.

Lee Westwood recovered from a double bogey at 18 to card a 68, leaving him one stroke adrift of Rose and two behind Donald - level with Graeme McDowell.

Elsewhere, Padraig Harrington was solid en route to a 70, while Sergio Garcia recovered from a tough start to sign for a 69.

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