Day one digest: 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship

Everything you need to know from the opening day at Chapultepec Golf Club.

McIlroy maintained momentum, everyone had a thirst for the first and Hatton looked like he'd never been away on day one of the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from Thursday at Chapultepec Golf Club.

Marvellous McIlroy leads the way

Rory McIlroy is back on top of the Official World Golf Ranking after four wins and 17 other top tens in 27 worldwide starts since the start of 2019 and he looked every inch the best in the world in Mexico City. After rolling home an eagle putt on just his second hole of the day, he never looked back, carding a 65 to get to six under and lead by two from Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson. "I'm confident because I played well," he said. "Regardless of whether I have a one or a two or a ten beside my name in the World Rankings, I'm comfortable with my golf game and I'm comfortable with what I'm doing, and that's the most important thing."

Start your engines

At just 316 yards and playing considerably shorter at altitude, the first hole this week provides a golden opportunity for a quick start. In the very first group of the day, Tyrrell Hatton drove to nine feet for an opening birdie and Paul Casey and Erik van Rooyen were among those to make eagles after finding the putting surface with a single blow. But the most spectacular tee shot into the opener? Step up defending champion Dustin Johnson.

Those golfing Gods

You don't need to be lucky if you're good enough to win the U.S. Open but you'd still like to be, right? Hard lines Gary Woodland - talk about right at it.

Beware the injured golfer

Hatton was belatedly starting his 2020 Race to Dubai after struggling to shake off a wrist problem after his winter break. That excellent birdie on the first was one of four he made in a 69 on a course where he finished third in 2018 and tenth the year before. "It's still not 100 per cent to be perfectly honest," he said of his wrist. "I've still got a little twinge there but I'm hoping that obviously now I'm back playing, kind of it'll ease up. It is just going to take time. The recovery was a bit longer than we thought it would be. I was hoping to start my season in Abu Dhabi and Dubai but this week is a good test for it, give myself four competitive rounds and see how I feel at the end of it. I don't want to kind of push it too much if it's a little bit sensitive at the end of the week but I don't think it will be. It's just a case of kind of getting back out and playing again."