Rory McIlroy battling on despite food poisoning

Phil Mickelson and five others shared the first-round lead and Rory McElroy was in a group one shot behind at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship on Thursday after the first round in Mexico City.

Mickelson, seeking his first victory since the 2013 British Open, had six birdies and two bogeys and joined Lee Westwood, Ross Fisher, Jon Rahm, Jimmy Walker and Ryan Moore atop the leaderboard.

After sitting out since January with a stress fracture in one of his ribs, Rory McIlroy stepped to the 10th tee at the WGC-Mexico Championship, his first hole of the day. “I stayed patient and the week longer will definitely pay off”.

He even sank an eagle on the sixth hole. “And hopefully, I feel like I’ve played enough to go into Augusta and feel ready”.

“It’s not as if I earn any more money as the world No.1, it’s just nice to be able to say you’re the best in the world at what you do”. It was the one WGC originally created to travel, and when the PGA Tour couldn’t secure at sponsor at Trump Doral outside Miami, it moved to Mexico City.

For those who thought the best players would eat up this golf course, Mickelson didn’t see it that way.

Jordan Spieth, of the US, prepares to play on the 8th hole, in round one of the Mexico Championship at Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City, Thursday, March 2, 2017.

Two-time major champion Jordan Spieth posted a 71, while reigning Open championship victor Henrik Stenson withdrew due to a stomach virus.

The four time major victor dropped just one shot on the day to go alongside two birdies and an eagle and at just one back seems likely to be a threat come Sunday.

“This is an incredible challenge for all of us because we’re dealing with a great mixture of holes, but more than that dealing with distance control”, the 46-year-old left-hander said.

“I don’t really want to tell you what I’m feeling right now”. I just wanted to have an experience that I might not ever get (again); play golf with a sitting president.

But defending champion Adam Scott made only one par on a rollercoaster back nine and bogeyed the final two holes in a wayward 73, while Masters champion Danny Willett dropped five shots in a torrid seven-hole run to slump to a 76.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is at 1 under after a shaky day on the greens.

“The rib is fine, it’s great actually”, McIlroy said in an interview broadcast on Sky Sports. “It was just basically that on repeat for the last three or four weeks, so that’s all I’ve really been concentrating on”.