Rory lets rip on Open road

IT seems inconceivable that a man could walk off the Old Course at St Andrews after shooting a nine under par 63 in the first round of the 150th Open Championship and feel just a little disappointed.

Unbelievably, though, that was the case yesterday for 21 year-old Rory McIlroy who justified all the pre-tournament confidence placed in him and yet was left to rue a missed four-foot birdie putt on the 17th. Had it dropped in, instead of lipping out, he might well have set a new major championship mark of 62.

He would have needed the birdie that he duly picked up at the 18th where he knocked in a tricky downhill putt of similar distance to create a significant piece of history and was big enough subsequently to admit it made up for what had happened on the 17th green.