Rory McIlroy marks his first appearance in nearly a month with an opening-round 70 at the Fedex St Jude Championship.
In his pre-tournament press conference, the world number three revealed that he did not pick up a club for two weeks after failing to convert a third-round lead at the Open Championship.
That showed at the start of Thursday's round in the first Fedex Cup playoff event, the Northern Irishman posting bogeys on two of his first six holes.
However, he recovered to eventually post level par, finishing on a high note with birdies at the 16th and 17th holes to end the day eight shots off the lead.
That is held by Si Woo Kim and J.J. Spaun who both recorded rounds of 62 in what was soft playing conditions after heavy rain earlier in the week.
Sahith Theegala ended the day one shot adrift of that pair after posting a 63, capping a fine day with a 25-foot putt on the final hole.
Tony Finau, on the back of two successive wins, recorded a six-under-par round of 64, while Tyrrell Hatton, Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler and Jason Day are in a pack of players on five-under-par.
Open champion Cameron Smith, who is rumoured to be on his way to LIV Golf next month, is back on three-under, but world number one Scottie Scheffler is all the way down the field on one-over-par.
Darren Plant
