Fleetwood, who’s hoping to emulate 2016 champion Justin Rose by profitable gold for Nice Britain, constructed impressively on his opening 67 with an eagle and three birdies in an outward 9 of 31.
Additional birdies adopted on the thirteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth however the world quantity 14 was unable to save lots of par on the final after an errant tee shot.
Fleetwood has shone at Le Golf Nationwide earlier than, profitable the 2017 French Open earlier than claiming 4 factors alongside Francesco Molinari on the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Nice Britain’s Matt Fitzpatrick additionally shot his manner again into the combination because the 2022 US Open champion rebounded from a gap 73 to match Fleetwood’s 64 and sit alongside McIlroy on 5 below.
McIlroy, who missed out on a bronze medal in a play-off on his Olympic debut in Tokyo, began strongly with an eagle and a birdie in his first 5 holes.
However his subsequent birdie, on the ninth, was sandwiched between two dropped pictures and he was made to attend till the sixteenth earlier than selecting up one other shot.
The four-time main winner discovered bother together with his drive on the seventeenth, resulting in a pricey double bogey, earlier than an outstanding method on the final arrange a closing birdie.
World primary Scottie Scheffler is at six below whereas McIlroy’s Workforce Eire team-mate Shane Lowry’s second straight 71 left him on degree par.
