Rory McIlroy missed the US, Irish, and Scottish Open cuts, and looked like making it another one when he was five over in the first six holes in the opening round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
For one of the world’s best, McIlroy looked like a mid-week hacker, yet he stood tall.
Even though he was still struggling, McIlroy birdied 11, 15, 17, and 18 to card a one-over 71.
That comeback took a heap of courage and he’s six shots off the lead shared by three Americans – Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, and the ever-smiling Matt Kuchar.
All finished on 65 from entirely different routes – Spieth was flawless with five birdies, Kuchar was five under at the turn and had nine pars on the way home, while US Open champion Koepka had an eagle, four birdies, and a bogey on the back nine.
The day opened with putrid weather greeting Mark O’Meara, the first to tee off, and the American sliced his tee shot out of bounds to hole out with a quadruple bogey eight on the way to an 81.
The Royal Birkdale rough was in three sections. The first was wispy, the second tough rough, the third was ball gone, there’s no way Dr Livingstone ever would been found in that density.
Branden Stone, for example, started triple, double – and there were many in strife on a tough opening hole.
Yet there were attacking golfers like Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed who never posted a birdie between them – impossible to believe, but true.
And the forecast for the second round is severe, the worst of the four days, so those under par will be grateful for the numbers in the bank.
Meanwhile, Jon Rahm, my pick, was penalised on the 17th, but the reason wasn’t known at the time of writing – he was heading for a 70.
The four top Australians are well in the mix all sharing 69 – one under.
Jason Day, wearing what looked like rack suit pants that showed off his big, white, surfboard-like wheels, fired in four birdies and three bogeys, as did Marc Leishman, while Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley carded three birdies and two bogeys.
The Open Championship leaderboard – Day 1
Par 70
65 – Jordan Spieth, Brooks Keopka, and Matt Kichar.
66 – Paul Casey and Charl Schwartzel.
67 – Ian Poulter, Justin Thomas, Richard Bland, Austin Connelly, Charley Hoffman, and Rafa Cabrera-Bello.
68 – Hideki Matsuyama, Bubba Watson, Daniel Berger, Ernie Els, Joost Luiten, David Lipsky, Richard Ramsay, Martin Laird, Stuart Manley, Alex Noren, and Sang Hoon Kang.
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