Rory McIlroy endures frustrating start at The Open
Rory McIlroy reacts after missing a putt on the 7th green. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Rory McIlroy endured a frustrating front nine at The Open as conditions for the afternoon starters became increasingly difficult at Royal Birkdale.
The morning presented probably the easiest environment for scoring with clear skies and virtually no wind, and by the time the Masters champion teed off at 3.15pm, the leaders were safely in the clubhouse at four under.
By then the wind had shifted direction, coming in off the sea, and increased to up to 15mph and, as a result, McIlroy found himself two over after seven having failed to get up and down at the par-three fourth and two-putted from inside four feet at the short but tricky seventh.
He missed another three-footer at the next – this time for birdie – but finally got one to drop after driving the green at the downwind, 415-yard ninth.
That saw him turn in one over, six off the clubhouse lead posted by unknown American Jackson Suber.
Meanwhile, A sarcastic Bryson DeChambeau hit back at Sir Nick Faldo’s claim he had “zero clue of strategy” after posting his first sub-70 major round of the year on the first day of The Open at Royal Birkdale.
On Tuesday the six-time major winner and last Englishman to lift the Claret Jug in 1992 criticised the approach of the 32-year-old – who is looking to avoid missing the cut in all of golf’s four premier events this year – towards links golf.
“I’d say it to his face: he has zero clue of strategy. He said it last year, I think, ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links’. Well, I’ve never ‘attacked’ a links,” said the three-time Open champion.
Five birdies and two bogeys – one at the last costing him a share of the lead – in a three-under 67 saw DeChambeau sit just one behind Yorkshireman Dan Brown – first-round clubhouse leader for second time in three years – and South Korea’s Sungjae Im.
The American refused to speak to the media for the fifth consecutive major round but did answer questions for the R&A’s in-house channel.
In one 18-second response he used the word ‘strategic’ or ‘stategy’ three times, pointedly stressing the emphasis.
“I think you’ve got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course. I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places,” he said.
“Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.” Brown hopes his chances do not go up in smoke after he dealt with the stress of contending again by getting through almost half a packet of cigarettes.
The 31-year-old, who carded a 65 on his major debut at Troon, found his form after five successive missed cuts having taken advantage of ideal early scoring conditions.
And while he set the Southport links alight with his golf he is being extra-careful with his habit on the tinder-dry course.
Asked whether there had been any request not to light up, he said: “I haven’t been told otherwise, but I’ve been making sure that they’re out.
“I’m probably on like seven or eight a round; stress levels go up, then probably the more I end up having.
“My dad actually used to smoke and I always told him when I was a kid to stop smoking and then he did stop and then I ended up starting.” Brown, who almost quit in 2019 after struggling on the third-tier PGA EuroPro Tour, shot to fame in 2024 when he had to endure puns associated with the name of the more famous author of The DaVinci Code but it was not a game he was interested in playing.
“I feel like I can compete in a major and in an Open Championship. I feel like I’m a better player now to what I was back then two years ago,” added the son of a Northallerton pig farmer.
Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre shot 67 to sit alongside DeChambeau in group which also included 2018 champion Francesco Molinari and American Alex Smalley, who led on five under before driving out of bounds at the last.
Defending champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler posted a two-under 68, saying: “Any time you can shoot under par to start a major championship, it’s a good spot to be in.”
Elsewhere on the Birkdale track, Argentina’s Mateo Pulcini laughed off the jibes and then celebrated like Enzo Fernandez after finishing his first round at the Open with a 40-foot birdie putt.
The only Argentinian in the field at Royal Birkdale received a few light-hearted boos before teeing off the morning after his country beat England in the semi-finals of football’s World Cup.
Pulcini took the ribbing in the spirit it was intended but turned the joke back on the crowd when he rolled in from distance at the 18th to sign for a five-over-par 75 with a birdie.
The 25-year-old amateur, making his Open debut, cupped both hands to his ears as Argentina midfielder Fernandez did after netting his late equaliser against England in their 2-1 win in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Pulcini said he “didn’t miss a single second” of the game and the Fernandez celebration instantly came to mind when he saw his ball drop into the hole.
He said: “I didn’t want to do anything to make fun of the match that you guys lost because the tournament here has been unbelievable.
“That celebration came from a 40-foot putt. I was pretty excited, and that came to my mind, and I did it.
“I was expecting a few boos on the first tee, and they came, some of them, but there were almost none.
“I love it. I really don’t mind. It’s part of the fun.
“People were being great. The fans are spectacular. They were cheering for me as well.
“The score wasn’t good at all, I wasn’t having a good day, but this on 18 made it a little bit better.” Meanwhile, as Pulcini basked in the glow of Argentina’s success, there was further woe for England as one of the country’s anticipated leading challengers, Justin Rose, failed to fire.
The veteran, back at the course where he made his name as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998, toiled on his way to a round of 75 that featured eight bogeys.
Matthew Jordan was another Englishman to struggle, shooting a seven-over-par 77.
Tommy Fleetwood revealed he spent the eve of his home Open trying to console his son after England’s defeat, before admitting he felt unusually nervous before his one-under-par 69.
The Southport favourite said watching football had provided a welcome distraction, but confessed the occasion still got to him.
“I was watching the football,” he said. “I was trying to console my son.
“The football was great to have as something else to think about and watch that.
“But I was pretty nervous, to be honest, on the first tee. First tees don’t bother me that much, but I was nervous today just with the excitement.” Jon Rahm hopes he will be too busy celebrating victory to watch his country Spain take on Argentina in Sunday’s final.
The Basque, who opened with a 69, said: “Hopefully I’m teeing off late and I miss it! Hopefully I’m celebrating and I don’t get to watch the game at all.”
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