VIRGINIA WATER, England — Francesco Molinari has gone three years without a win but his golfing radar was back in good working order as he raced into a two-shot lead with an opening 65 at the BMW PGA Championship on Thursday.
The 32-year-old Italian crammed seven birdies in a flawless seven-under-par effort at Wentworth while world number one Rory McIlroy could only manage a 71 on a day of unbroken sunshine on the outskirts of London.
Swede Robert Karlsson was in second place on 67, one ahead of Spanish pair Miguel Angel Jimenez and Jorge Campillo, British duo Marc Warren and Chris Wood and 2009 U.