Rory McIlroy was left with an early deficit at the Canadian Open after shooting a stuttering level-par opening round on Thursday.

Playing his first tournament since a disappointing showing at the PGA Championship last month, McIlroy recovered from a slow start with three successive birdies around the turn to move under par, but bogeyed his penultimate hole to post 70.

As early starter McIlroy finished his round, with half the field just starting out, the Masters champion was left trailing clubhouse leader Taylor Pendrith by five shots as the Canadian produced a superb 65.

McIlroy, playing the back nine first at TPC Toronto, started with two pars before a poor error from little more than a 100 yards out on the fairway at the 12th hole led to a bogey.

He would drop further off the pace a

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