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Gareth Hanna and Adam McKendry
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Rory McIlroy somehow steered his first round at The Open to an under-par finish despite struggles off the tee that saw him ranked joint last for driving accuracy at Royal Portrush on Thursday.
The Masters champion is one under, just three behind the leading pack heading into Friday’s second round.
In an afternoon game that would take an almost interminable six hours, the world number two recovered from a bogey start to card a two under par front nine. A birdie at the 10th was to follow, but his fortunes immediately changed as his struggles with the driver ultimately caught up with him. Three bogeys in his next four holes sent him back to even par on a day when he hit just two of 13 fairways. Birdie at 17 meant he limited the late damage to a one-over-par 36 on the back nine to finish the day -1 and three behind the leading group.
Afterwards, he hailed the “incredible” fans and said he feels “the support of the entire country out there”, adding that he “doesn’t want to let them down”. He also said knowing what to expect on the first tee helped to exorcise the demons of 2019, as he managed to keep it in-bounds this time round.
The leaders are a five-strong pack at -4 including Matt Fitzpatrick, Christian Bezuidenhout, Harris English, Jacob Skov Olesen and Haotong Li.
Rory McIlroy hit two of 13 fairways while shooting under par on Thursday.
The Open Day One – Paul Kimmage, Brian Keogh and Conor McKeon bring you their take on an emotional first day for the Irish at Portrush
Among the group one shot back is Sadom Kaewkanjana, a Thai professional who is also an ordained Buddhist monk. He’s alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Jordan.
Holywood’s Tom McKibbin carded an early one over par 72, three shots ahead of Darren Clarke. The 2019 champion Shane Lowry finished up at -1, while Padraig Harrington got in at four over par after hitting the day’s opening tee shot and birdieing the first.
Justin Rose is at -2 alongside the likes of Lee Westwood and Rickie Fowler.
Follow along with all the week’s action right here on our blog:
Key updates
Steven Beacom on day one: Rory’s an emotional rollercoaster
What Rory said after an opening one-under 70
Meet the Buddhist monk who’s one shot off the lead
The Open Guinness tracker: Where’s the cheapest pint in Portrush this week?
Darren Clarke on shooting a 75: ‘Maybe I should have spent more time in the Harbour Bar!’
Pick your fighter: Jason Day vs Barra Best
Steven Beacom on day one: Rory’s an emotional rollercoaster
What Rory said after an opening one-under 70
On his round: “It was good. I had it going at three-under thru 10 and let a few slip there around the middle of the round. Steadied the ship and it was nice to shoot under par. Once we turned for home the wind picked up and it became more difficult. Tough enough day, so to shoot under par was great.”
The support: “Absolutely incredible. I feel the support of the entire country out there which is an incredible position to be in but you also don’t want to let them down. It feels better than six years ago. I’m surprised four under is leading, I thought someone would go out and shoot five or six under.”
Difference on 1 tee this time: “I knew what to expect, it wasn’t new to me but knowing what it was like was helpful. I didn’t feel like I was walking into the unknown like last time, this time I had a better idea of what was coming to me.”
Importance of the putt on 15: “It was a big putt, especially having bogeyed three of the last four at that point. It was a huge putt to keep the momentum I had and then playing the last three holes under par was great.”
Day One at The Open with Paul Kimmage
Refresh this article shortly for a video summary of today’s proceedings with Paul Kimmage, Brian Keogh and Conor McKeon.
Rory doing short mediaWe’ve been told he’s doing four questions only, so this will be a concise press conference.
Gareth’s edit: Good. Home time.
So close!
The putt is given a chance and it just shaves the edge of the hole! What a way to finish that would have been!
But it’s a par to finish and a one-under 70 for Rory McIlroy in the opening round of the 2025 Open Championship and, given what happened in 2019, he will take that. He had to do a fair amount of scrambling on his way in but a clutch birdie on 17 means he starts Friday in the red.
Justin Thomas just leaves his putt wide, gave it too much break, so he’ll sign for a solid if unspectacular one-over 72, while Tommy Fleetwood also ends with a par in a two-over 73.
He liked it
Good line from McIlroy but it doesn’t quite have the legs, just about getting on the front of the green but he’ll need to hole a long putt if he’s finishing with back to back birdies.
“Keep ‘er lit,” someone yells, which draws a chuckle from around the grandstand.
In comparison, Justin Thomas gives himself a good look at birdie as he hits a solid shot into the middle of the green but it’s a disappointing attempt from Tommy Fleetwood, who is furthest away having hit last.
Second feature group are homeWhat a way to finish for Jordan Spieth who drains a long ranger on the 18th for his second birdie of the day – and second in his final four holes – to claw his way back to +2 and just six shots back. He’ll more than take that after waiting 15 holes for a red number.
Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland both sign for two-over-par 73s as well, the highlight of their combined days an eagle on two for Hovland.
The drive isn’t bad
He’s on a little bit of an uphill lie in the semi rough so he should be able to work it the way he wants to. Par here would be a very acceptable outcome.
Fleetwood and JT have hit stunners down the middle. They might be thinking birdie.
Rory’s driver dilemmaOut of 12 fairways so far, Rory McIlroy has hit two. He’s under par. Sicko.
Edit: After his drive at the 18th, make that two from 13.
BIRDIE!
Oh boy was that well timed for Rory! Tommy Fleetwood holes his for the bird first and McIlroy follows him in with a positive hit that goes in dead centre to get him back to -1!
That should be a massive shot in the arm.
First afternoon feature group is back inHaving teed off at the first approximately 63 days ago, the afternoon’s first feature group is in.
Justin Rose won the battle of Britain with a steady-Eddie, bogey-free two-under-par 69, while Bob MacIntyre was three under after eight but three bogeys on a birdieless final 10 means he finishes the day at a round even par.
Then there was Bryson DeChambeau, who had a miserable seven over par 78 – his worst ever first round score at a major tournament. Only six players shot a higher number. Doubles at four and 13 did most of the damage, but going bogey, bogey to close out really added insult to injury. He has a fight on his hands to stay for the weekend, currently in a tie for 146th.
Insane recovery
McIlroy was halfway down the slope to the left but hits an absolute pearl into the 17th green that banks off the slope to the left of the putting surface and curves back around to leave him about eight feet for birdie!
If he could finish this round under par, that would be massive.
Tyrrell Hatton in the house at just a shot behind
The Englishman cards a three-under 68 in a round that featured four birdies and one bogey. It also featured a bit of confusion on the seventh green when his ball struck his playing partner’s, with a bit of a conflab around where the balls should have been placed in the aftermath – all caught by photographer John.
Someone turn that TV off
There’s a big screen showing the feed of the tournament to the left of the 17th tee and as Rory is swinging on the tee, you can hear the commentator saying he needs to hit more fairways – that surely can’t be fair for anyone in the field?
Whether that affects him or not we don’t know, but he has pulled his drive well left off the tee and this is going to be a very difficult recovery again.
Justin Thomas the opposite, pushing it into the fans down the right, and he’s going to struggle from there too.
The unmentioned under parsThere are a couple of other players left out there on this interminable Thursday evening that are under par and haven’t got much of a mention yet. Tony Finau is -1 with three to play while last man out, OJ Farrell is also -1, although he still has six holes to go. He’ll be finished in Julember.
EDIT: Finau won’t go unmentioned for long – he’s just stitched it at Calamity. Go on Tony!
“Get in… turn right… now straight!”How can you not love a Northern Irish crowd following one of their own?
It’s another masterful chip from McIlroy clips it neatly off the grass and it rolls towards the hole. It’s always missing left but the crowd still try to will it in – in the end, it will be a tap-in par and another hole where he stays level-par.
“Rory, you’re still in this, come on!” yells one fan.
Justin Thomas, the only one of this group to hit the green, cosies it up for his par to remain +1 while Tommy Fleetwood also gets up and down from Bobby Locke’s Hollow for a par to stay +3 after a bogey at 15.
What about the amateurs?
The best of nine amateurs playing are a Scots duo Cameron Adam and Connor Graham at +2. Although Adam is just about to go to +1 after stitching it at the 13th in the third0last group out. Fair play.
Evoking Bobby Locke’s ghost
Rory is in his hollow to the left of the 16th green as he tries to cut it off the tee to this tight right pin and it instead stays bullet straight. It’s not the toughest up and down but it’s another one required from the Holywood man, and it’s another exasperated look toward Harry Diamond as he returns the club .
Rory McIlroy hit two of 13 fairways while shooting under par on Thursday.
The Open at Royal Portrush: What happened in 2019