RORY MCILROY is five shots off the pace at the Wells Fargo Championship after a two-under-par opening round of 70 at Quail Hollow.
The world number one carded six birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys in North Carolina.
Scotland's Russell Knox went one better than his Northern Irish compatriot as he hit a 69 to stand at three-under after the first round, four shots adrift of American Robert Streb as he took an early lead with an impressive 65.
McIlroy was four under with just two to play but his tee shot found the water at the par-three 17th.
After pitching to within eight feet from the drop zone, the 26-year-old missed his putt and dropped two crucial shots.
On 18, McIlroy found the rough from the tee and then had to salvage a par after his approach ended up a greenside bunker.
"I was excited to get back here, I've got great memories of Quail Hollow," McIlroy told Sky Sports.
"For the most part today it was solid golf. I took advantage of the holes I needed to out there. I was a little bit disappointed with how it finished but it's a solid opening day.
"I'll get out there tomorrow morning with good greens and hopefully shoot something a bit lower."
American Ryder Cup player Patrick Reed is just one off the pace set by Streb while Webb Simpson is well in contention after an opening round of 67.
The former US Open champion, who made six birdies and a single bogey, is a member at Quail Hollow Club and has finished no worse than 38th in his last four visits to this tournament, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in 2012.
"I kind of learned to just enjoy it, not put too much pressure on myself," Simpson said of playing at home.
"It was a good, solid day. I didn't make many mistakes. The one that cost me was 16. I just went through it wrong mentally and hit it in the water. Other than that, the card was clean and I played nicely."
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