McIlroy may turn to specialist after ‘brain dead’ opening day
The 24-year-old world number two faces a weekend off from the third major of the year after his terrible season so far hit a new low in the Muirfield sun, a first-round, eight-over par 79 his worst score of the year relative to par.
McIlroy came into the week struggling to rediscover the form of last season when he romped to the second major victory of his career at the PGA Championship and finished top of both the European and PGA Tour money lists with five victories in 2012. A switch in club and ball manufacturer and a split with his management company have been perceived as the major factors in a lean spell which has produced no wins in 2013, just three top-10 finishes and a failure to contend in the first two majors of the year.
A missed cut at Carton House in the Irish Open last month left the Holywood golfer admitting he was a “little lost” with his game but after yesterday’s two double-bogey, six-bogey, two-birdie round he had the look of man who had seen his compass crushed by a steamroller, unable to plot a route out of his current mess.
“I don’t know what you can do,” McIlroy said. “You’ve just got to try and play your way out of it. But it’s nothing to do with technique. It’s all mental out there. And then I just need to concentrate, obviously. But sometimes I feel like I’m walking around out there and I’m unconscious.
“I just need to try to think more. I’m trying to focus and trying to concentrate. But, yeah, I can’t really fathom it at the minute, and it’s hard to stand up here and tell you guys what’s really wrong.”
McIlroy’s mental game struggles mean he experienced a systems failure in all aspects of his golf, finding just five of 14 fairways off the tee, hitting 10 of 18 greens and taking 34 putts.
“I felt like I got off to a decent start,” he said of his opening three pars. “Gave myself a couple of chances early on, made a couple of silly mental errors on four and five, dropped shots there. Made a great two on seven to get it back, had a chance to get it back to even par on nine.”
His real woes, though, started on the back nine, where “silly mental errors” and “brain dead” decisions left McIlroy with bogeys at 10, 11, 17 and 18 and double bogeys at 12 and 15, where he sent an 80-foot putt racing past the hole and into a bunker at the back of the green.
“Again, that’s just thoughtless,” he said. “It’s just so brain dead. Seriously, I feel like I’ve been walking around out there like that for the last couple of months. I’m trying to get out of it. I just don’t quite know why.
“It’s a very alien feeling, it’s something I’ve never felt before.”
McIlroy then said he would consider reacquainting himself with noted sports psychologist Dr Bob Rotella in a bid to rediscover his on-course concentration.
“I’ve worked with Bob before a little bit. And, yeah, it could be beneficial to see someone like that again, we’ll see. I’m definitely under-thinking on the golf course, maybe over-thinking it off of it.”
Ironically, McIlroy’s 79 matched that of six-time major winner Nick Faldo yesterday, who played his first competitive round in three years on his 56th birthday to mark his two Muirfield Open victories in 1987 and 1992. Faldo had earlier in the week provoked an angry response from McIlroy when urging the Co. Down man to ignore distractions in his life and concentrate on his golf, and yesterday the Englishman insisted he was trying assist a friend in need.
“I’m friends with Rory, don’t write it any other way,” Faldo said. “I’ve known him since he was 12. “He’s a big part of my Faldo Series. I’m like big granddad, here, saying exactly those things. Just give it your full attention, when you want to play golf... I’m trying to give him a little caring, loving help here.
“I like the kid. He’s a friend. I can speak from experience. All I’m trying to say is I’ve been there, seen it, I know what can happen. Don’t write as if I’m having a go at him.”
McIlroy’s score: BOGEY 5
Sends a 25ft birdie putt three feet past hole and misses coming back.
McIlroy’s score: BOGEY 6
Into right rough off tee, then to near left-side wall and three putts.
McIlroy’s score: BIRDIE
Tee shot to four feet, holes putt.
McIlroy’s score: BOGEY 5
Finds right rough off the tee, misses green left, chips over bunker and two-putts from 10 feet.
McIlroy’s score: BOGEY 5
Three putts, “a stupid mental error”.
McIlroy’s score: DOUBLE BOGEY 6
Misses green in left rough, bump and run rescue shot rolls back down slope to his feet, chip shot runs 20ft past hole and two putts.
McIlroy’s score: BIRDIE
Maybe he could get out of this intact. Or maybe...
McIlroy’s score: DOUBLE BOGEY 6
Drives into fairway bunker, just short of green with second. Putts from 80ft out, 20ft past hole into back bunker. Splashes out and two-putts from 10ft.
McIlroy’s score: BOGEY 6
Drives into fairway bunker, hits out sideways, third shot short of green, three putts from there.
McIlroy’s score: BOGEY 5
Drives into left rough, lashes out of tall hay onto right light rough, wrong side of island bunker. Chips out to 20 feet past the hole. Two putts.
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