McIlroy loses way in the Forest and almost certain to miss cut

YOUNG Rory McIlroy learned the hard way yesterday about the huge gulf that exists between an up and coming amateur and the game’s leading professionals.

The richly talented 16 year-old from Holywood, Co Down, shot a ten over par 82 in the first round of the British Masters, almost certainly ruling out his goal of making the cut in his first appearance in a professional tournament. However, he’s a positive youngster with a sensible attitude and believes the occasion will stand to him, particularly next week when he again joins the pros in the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House.

“Obviously this was not my best display and after getting off to a good start I had a triple bogey and three doubles, that’s nine shots and if I had avoided all of that, then I wouldn’t be a whole lot over par,” he argued. “I found myself in a lot of bunkers, all too often under the lip rather than in the middle where I might have been able to recover. But it was great experience and all part of the learning curve. It was always going to be tough in the conditions and with some very difficult pin positions.”