A day to forget for McIlroy and Woods as a rain-soaked Royal Portrush gets the better of golfing megastars
Opening round of drama with sport's big hitters in deep trouble
It was a day when Open hopes for two of golf’s greats were washed away at a rain-lashed Royal Portrush. NIGEL GOULD reports on an extraordinary day of thrills and spills as Northern Ireland’s biggest-ever sporting spectacle got under way
It should have been the perfect homecoming …
But as the rain drove dagger like on the perfectly manicured fairways at Royal Portrush, dark clouds descended ominously over Rory McIlroy’s bid for Open glory.
His first-shot shank – a foreboding sign of much worse to come - ended up out of bounds.
There followed another – and before he knew it, McIlroy was four shots over for the opening hole.
Seventeen pins later – and the World Number Three had finished Day one on an incomprehensible plus 8, having carded a quite shocking score of 79.
But while dream of lifting the Claret Jug at Portrush now appears to be in tatters, McIlroy retained his sense of humour when asked whether there is a way back from his first round
“Definitely a way back to Florida,” he said. “Look, I definitely think if I can put the ball in the fairway tomorrow I can shoot a good enough score to be around for the weekend.
“Obviously I'm pretty sure anyone starting with a 79 in this golf tournament doesn't think about winning at this point. But I think I can go out there and shoot something in the mid-60s.”
The legend that is Tiger Woods fared little better …
Despite his huge following with thousands surging after him hole to hole, the 15-time Major winner, struggled to rise to the occasion – and finished his Day One on 7 under.
Afterwards, he said: “My warm-up wasn’t very good and I had a hard time moving and just trying to piece together a swing that will get me around a golf course,”
Elsewhere, there was early promise shown by another home-grown favourite Graeme McDowell particularly on a course he knows inside out – but a bogey-riddled last three holes put paid to a decent first day.
The Portrush man ended up on a disappointing 2 over.
He said it had been an emotional day.
“It was such a special day,” said the 39-year-old from US Open champion. “Getting off that first tee this morning, I literally had a tear in my eye. It was kind of cool stuff.
“And like I say, to conduct myself as well as I did all day and play as well as I did all day, and then to finish like that was - it hurts, you know, it hurts a lot, but it's golf.
“Listen, you've got to take the rough with the smooth and that was rough but hopefully there will be some more smooth ahead. I feel like it's certainly a round that got away from me.”
It was different story for Darren Clarke, though.
The Dungannon-born man who now lives in Portrush, ended his opening round on even par.
All are chasing American J.B Holmes who leads the way after shooting a 5 under round.
He's one shot clear of Ireland's Shane Lowry and Spain's Jon Rahm who are on four under par.
England's Lee Westwood is in a good position after his three under par opening round, while Justin Rose in one shot further back on two under