RORY McILROY’S Open bid went off course… when his deflected shot sailed over the railway line at Royal Troon.
And the world number 2 ended with a nightmare first round, 78 – ending with a colossal blow SEVEN OVER PAR.
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But Shane Lowry has a chance at glory after a five-under 66 put him 12 SHOTS away from his Ryder Cup friend.
McIlroy also reached the boundaries of the famous Postage Stamp hole with a double bogey five as gusts of wind destroyed his train of thought.
The 35-year-old – who aims to end a decade-long major drought – said: “All I need to focus on is trying to make the cut.
“The conditions were tough in that defense and I just didn’t do a good enough job.
“I did well in the first part, then I missed the green at Selo Postal and made a double.
“Then he hit out of bounds at 11, scoring a double there. I was surprised by how difficult the back nine played.”
Fans crossed the little-used track to find McIlroy’s lost ball on the 11th – which was nestled in thick gorse.
The Northern Irishman, who won his fourth and final Major at the 2014 USPGA Championship, now faces an uphill battle just to make tomorrow night’s cut.
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He refuses to give up on his bet, but added: “I need to shoot under par and be here at the weekend, move up the leaderboard and feel like I have half a chance.”
Irishman Lowry, who won this event in 2019, said: “I hit one shot and thought, ‘This is the first time I’ve led The Open in five years.’
“I would love to give myself a chance. If I keep making shots, I could be dangerous.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said the conditions were so difficult they made a 50-yard difference in his shots.
He said: “When you throw a wet ball into the wind, it’s amazing how short it is.
“I think it was number 2 today, I was 165 on a slight uphill and I hit a 5-iron, which for me is usually around 205.
“It was probably 155 at most. Probably carried 150, and ended up 155, and I distributed it.
“The slight climb had something to do with it, but I mean, I flew down pretty well, and it’s my 205 chance, and it was 155.”
Inside Rory McIlroy’s turbulent love life
RORY MCILROY had a high-profile romance with former tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki before their split in 2014.
The following year, the golf ace began dating Erica Stoll, whom he met on the PGA Tour in 2011.
Erica frequently interacted with players through her role as volunteer operations manager for the PGA Championship.
She even saved McIlroy from losing his playing time at the 2012 Ryder Cup after some confusion over the time zone.
The incident began a strong friendship between the two, four years before their relationship turned romantic.
McIlroy and Erica were spotted on a series of dates in Rochester, New York in the early days of their relationship.
Just eight months later, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017.
The pair then welcomed daughter Poppy into the world three years later.
Throughout their time together, McIlroy and Erica kept their relationship to themselves, with the golfer keen to shield his family from cameras while filming Netflix documentary series Full Swing.
However, after seven years of marriage, McIlroy filed for divorce from Erica.
The reasons for the divorce were not disclosed, but the Northern Irishman filed documents with a Florida court.
However, a few weeks later, they made a U-turn on their decision to divorce.
McIlroy told the outlet, “Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a fresh start.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
