'It really is a traffic jam': ‘Sexy’ Irish Open kicks off amid testing conditions

Rory McIlroy putts for par on the fifth hole. Picture: Cian O'Regan

This is links golf. The pace of play on the first day of the Amgen Irish Open was glacial as strong winds and the course layout combined to test the patience of players and spectators.

The Doonbeg venue is an out-and-back course, playing straight downwind on the front nine. It resulted in lengthy delays with several groups standing on tee boxes.

Pádraig Harrington, playing in his 31st straight Irish Open to break Seve Ballesteros’ record of 30 consecutive Spanish Open appearances, opened with a one-over-par 71. He missed a 30-footer for par on the last hole to head for the clubhouse disappointed.

“Obviously there has been some rain, but one of the difficulties is controlling your ball flight out there,” he said.

“There was a pretty substantial, heavy wind at times. I think I was short a shot. I think I hit a 5-iron from 149 yards on 5 and I came up short. I came up 15 yards short. I drew it, so I didn't exactly miss it. I hit the shot I was trying to play.

“There was a heavy wind at times if you were into it. As you are rightly saying, I saw a few shots spinning off greens.” 

On the par-3 178-yard 11th, Harrington reached for his 5-iron and still came up short. Those tricky conditions led to exceptionally long rounds. There were several groups who were over three and a half hours on the front nine. 

Rory McIlroy’s group took two hours to finish five holes. On the sixth, he drove over the 371-yard par four.

“Another issue with the wind,” explained Harrington of the pace. “The first couple of holes were great and then we backed up on the par 5. 

"When it is backed up in front of you, everybody then subconsciously wants to slow down even more, because there is nowhere to go. That is the nature of golf. As slow as the round was today, it is a bit like rush hour traffic in bad driving conditions. Everything slows down. It really is a traffic jam. Players see that they are going nowhere in front of them.” 

For one of the most enthusiastic golfers on the pro circuit, the solution to such lags is simple: “Just chat. Just talk away. Nothing you can do.” 

Some of those conversations would have been more interesting than others. McIlroy was repeatedly caught waiting with the groups on either side of him that included LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and former LIV member Patrick Reed.

Waterford pro Séamus Power faces a battle to make the cut after going bogey-bogey on the final two holes to finish with a 73.

“By the time we hit our tenth tee shot, I think we were almost three hours 15 minutes into the round. That wasn’t easy,” the 39-year-old said afterwards.

“Especially with the rain, it wasn’t great. But that is going to be the same for everyone.” Power went off in a group with Sepp Straka and Joaquin Niemann. The Chilean shot a five-under 65 to show that the course is still scoreable.

“A guy shot five under, (but) it never helps. I think with these conditions, it is not going to be quick at all. There are just these crosswinds, looking for golf balls and marking short putts. It is all that usual stuff.” Niemann, for his part, was loving the test.

“It is definitely a good challenge. You got to hit those tee shots and keep it under the wind, left-to-right wind, right-to-left wind. I was talking with my caddie, like every shot into the wind just times a hundred probably.

“So if it is a bad shot, it is a really bad shot. But if it is a good shot, it was so nice to see it. It is just sexy, you know, hitting 8-iron, 7-iron, from 120, 130 yards is fun.” 

The reason this week’s field is 138 rather than the 156 at most tournaments is a bid to complete play each day. This unusual par 70, with three par 5s after two were converted into par 4s for this tournament, is short on paper.

Doonbeg has brought its own twist to proceedings, though. Power’s experience on a much calmer Wednesday felt like another world.

“I saw it yesterday for the first time; it is a weird kind of dynamic,” he explained.

“It obviously looks extremely linksy, but the approach shots, what happened to me on 15 is I thought I hit a nice wedge shot maybe a step onto the front of the green. In links, that is usually not much of a problem but it spun back and I am 25 yards short of the green. It is a different kind of feel.

“Anything into the wind, you really need to be landing it past the hole, which is not something you are used to. Besides that, it is just tough, especially when the wind is blowing like this.”