ANCASTER, Ont.—Prior to Thursday morning, was in 2019 when he was cruising to his first RBC Canadian Open title. That’s five years and a different golf course ago.

Since then, the layout has been completely overhauled, with yardage and more penal bunkers added and all the greens and green surrounds rebuilt. He played those holes in Thursday’s opening round, having seen only the front nine during Wednesday’s pro-am after being off site at a corporate outing on Tuesday. He was not alone in his lack of preparation, either.

in McIlroy’s group the first two days with has been on the same schedule. Ditto for some other Canadians and top draws. Not surprisingly, then, McIlroy failed to make a birdie on that nine.

On the bright side, however, the tournament’s two-time winner didn’t make a bogey, either, carding nine straight pars to begin his round. Upon making the turn, McIlroy pressed harder on the gas pedal. Hamilton’s first hole, which is tougher than it was in 2019, yielded the Northern Irishman’s first birdie.

With the pin on the left side of the green, McIlroy played the slight dogleg aggressively, airmailing a new second bunker in the left side of the fairway some 300 yards away. His drive measured 355 yards, leaving him a pitch out of the rough from just 57 yards. He hit that shot to four feet and tapped in for his three.

When it’s said that tour pros make the game seem simple with how far they hit the ball — because of how far the modern golf ball flie.