Rory McIlroy almost makes history at the Truist Championship.

Rory McIlroy nearly achieved an unprecedented feat in the opening round of the 2026 Truist Championship, held at the legendary Quail Hollow Club. The four-time champion at this venue and current Masters winner displayed impressive consistency, nearly making par on every hole, something he had never accomplished throughout his career on the PGA Tour.

During his performance on Thursday, McIlroy recorded par on 17 of the 18 holes, including all three par 5s on the course. Only on the final hole of the day, hole 9, did the Northern Irishman finally break the streak, signing for a birdie that elicited a reaction of relief and restrained celebration. His initial approach to hole 9 appeared to be off-target but ended up about 4.5 meters from the hole, from where McIlroy made the putt for birdie, raising his arms and tilting his head back in a gesture of satisfaction.

“I was thinking that, despite having made so many pars, I can’t remember the last time I played a round without a birdie,” the player confessed after the round. “I really tried to make at least one. I couldn’t on 7 or 8, I thought the opportunity had passed, but it was great to see that ball go in on the last hole.”

The Irishman had several birdie opportunities throughout the course, notably on holes 12, 14, and 15 in the first round, and then on holes 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 on the back nine, but his attempts were consistently thwarted by small errors around the edges of the holes. Still, McIlroy expressed satisfaction with his putting form.

“I wasn’t frustrated. I was making good putts; there were just days when the balls didn’t want to go in. I was trying to stay patient because I felt I was making the right moves,” he explained. “Sometimes I over-read, other times I under-read the putts, but I felt I was putting the ball on the right line. I just needed to understand the green readings better. In the end, I felt like I finally got into a rhythm.”

Interestingly, McIlroy had never managed to make 18 pars in a single round. Throughout his PGA Tour career, there have only been seven occasions where he did not record a birdie or better, with the last three of those rounds occurring in major tournaments. The last time he played a round without a birdie or better in a PGA Tour event was in 2012, at the Memorial Tournament.

This nearly perfect performance by Rory McIlroy at the Truist Championship makes it clear that, even without spectacular highlights, the Northern Irishman maintains sharp form and a consistency that could lead him to dominate again at Quail Hollow, a place where he has proven to be practically unbeatable. The anticipation for the upcoming rounds is high, and the golf world will be watching to see if McIlroy can turn this solidity into victories and more moments of glory.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.