McIlroy begins The Open with quadruple bogey

PORTRUSH, Northern Eire — Rory McIlroy’s begin within the Open Championship in his native Northern Eire could not have been a lot worse.

McIlroy, the favourite to win the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Membership, hit his tee shot on the primary gap out of bounds and ended up with a quadruple-bogey Eight on the par-Four, 421-yard gap.

In response to a Day by day Mirror reporter, McIlroy’s opening drive hit a lady and cracked the display screen of the cell phone in her pocket.

After a one-stroke penalty, McIroy hit his second tee shot into the deep tough on the left aspect of the green. His fourth shot was low and ended up in even thicker tough on the left aspect of the inexperienced. He was pressured to take an unplayable lie close to the inexperienced.

Northern Eire’s Rory McIlroy appears for his ball within the lengthy tough on the primary gap in the course of the first spherical of The Open at Royal Portrush. Related Press

Then he made an amazing pitch shot to about 5 ft and two-putted for Eight.

After the opening gap, McIlroy’s odds to win The Open dropped from Eight-to-1 to 33-to-1 on on-line betting websites. He additionally hit his opening tee shot out of bounds throughout his apply spherical on Wednesday.

McIlroy’s forgettable begin spoiled The Open’s extremely anticipated return to Royal Portrush, the place it hadn’t been performed since 1951. McIlroy, 30, grew up in close by Holywood, and he set the Royal Portrush course report with a 61 when he was 16.

He talked concerning the stress of enjoying in The Open in his native nation on Wednesday.

“I am simply treating this like every other Open championship,” McIlroy stated. “I’ve performed nicely right here for the previous couple of years. I’ve performed nicely on this golf course. So I’ve simply bought to exit and hit the photographs and keep within the current. If I simply maintain placing one foot in entrance of the opposite, hopefully by Sunday night time that shall be ok.”