McIlroy may turn to specialist after ‘brain dead’ opening day

Somebody call the shrink. Rory McIlroy pronounced himself “brain dead” on the golf course after a terrible opening round at the British Open yesterday and admitted he may need to turn to a sports psychologist to help him climb out of his current slump.

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.