McCarty followed up four straight top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour with nine birdies at Quail Hollow to shoot an eight-under 63 on Thursday for a one-shot lead over Sungjae Im at the Truist Championship before the round was called because of rain.
Im was on his final hole when the skies opened up. He, along with a handful of others, will complete the round on Friday.
Playing for the first time since winning his second consecutive Masters more than three weeks ago, McIlroy looked rusty at times on a course where he has dominated, winning four times while setting several tournament scoring records.
The world No.2 player made 17 straight pars to open the round before finally getting a birdie putt to drop on No.9 and celebrating by sarcastically thrusting both arms high in the air.
"I was thinking I can't remember the last time I played a round of golf and didn't have a birdie," McIlroy said. "I think I was like 'just try to make one.' I thought my chance had passed me by, but nice to see one putt go in there."
McIlroy finished with a one-under 70, leaving him seven shots behind.
Five players are three shots back at five under including defending tournament champion Sepp Straka, Kristoffer Reitan, Nicolai Hojgaard, Harry Hall and Nick Taylor.
Cameron Young is once again in contention, four shots back along with Tommy Fleetwood. Young also was on his final hole before the rain hit.
Young, who turned 29 on Thursday, continues to take his game to a different level. After going 93 tournaments without a victory, he's taken a quantum leap forward with three wins in his last 14 events, including last week at Doral.
McCarty was dynamite with his putter all day. He followed up a 59-foot birdie putt on No.16 with a 52-footer on No.17 to best Quail Hollow's difficult three closing holes known as the Green Mile.
"I've been playing some good golf for the last few weeks," McCarty said. "I wasn't hitting it that great early today but you make a bunch of 50-plus footers and it kind of gets your day going."Â
The Australian contingent had a day to forget with Min Woo Lee (one over 71) the best, nine behind McCarty.
Lee made three birdies to go with two bogeys and a double bogey on the ninth.
Jason Day (75) is tied 68th with Adam Scott last in the field after a 76 that included a triple bogey on the par-three 17th.
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