Rory McIlroy’s quest for a first British Open triumph in 12 years survived a bruising opening salvo at Royal Birkdale on Thursday, the Masters champion clinging to hope despite a two-over-par round that left him seven shots adrift of the leaders after a day littered with “stupid mistakes” and missed short putts that tested his mental resolve to breaking point.
In a rollercoaster round that encapsulated both the brilliance and frustration that has defined McIlroy’s relationship with his home major, the Northern Irishman bogeyed both par threes on the front nine before dropping shots at both par fives on the back nine amongst six bogeys total. Yet four birdies, including a sensational second shot at the last that gave the scoreboard a far healthier complexion, ensured his championship dreams survived day one’s examination.
Putting woes undermine solid ball-striking
“Just too many stupid mistakes. But every time I made a stupid mistake, thankfully I made a birdie to sort of keep myself in it,” McIlroy admitted, his frustration evident despite the fighting talk. “Not too far away. Hopefully we’ll get the better conditions tomorrow and maybe the greens are a little bit smoother in the morning. Go out there and shoot a good one and get myself right back in it for the weekend.”
The damage stemmed primarily from putting fragility that saw McIlroy miss three putts inside five feet, the kind of bread-and-butter conversions that become psychological torture when they refuse to drop. His confidence took early hits at the fourth and seventh holes, misses that planted seeds of doubt that germinated throughout the round.
“I missed a couple early on that looked like they were going to break one way and they actually went another way, and then when you get the next one, you’re over it and it’s just very hard to trust that the ball is going to do what you think it’s going to do,” McIlroy explained, articulating the mental spiral that plagues golfers when greens become unreadable. “Then you maybe don’t make quite as committed of a stroke.”
Vicious cycle of doubt
What followed was a vicious cycle where tentative stroking bred poor distance control, leaving McIlroy repeatedly facing four-footers that should be gimmes but become nightmares when confidence evaporates. “It seems like when it gets like that on a day like today, you just keep leaving yourself four-footers. Then I missed three four-footers in the space of four holes, and that’s tough to get out of that and stay committed to what you’re trying to do on the greens.”
Conditions conspiracy reversed for Friday
McIlroy’s misfortune extended to the draw, starting late amongst the group that endured the worst conditions as wind intensified and further dried a course already parched from weeks of minimal rainfall. That same misfortune reverses on Friday, with McIlroy and playing partners Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele among the morning starters expected to encounter calmer, smoother conditions.
The 37-year-old completed the career Grand Slam at Augusta in April, his fifth major championship ending a drought that had gnawed at his legacy. Now he chases the one major that has tormented him longest, that solitary Claret Jug claimed at Royal Liverpool in 2014 feeling increasingly distant with each frustrating return.
Seven shots represents a recoverable deficit over 54 holes at major championship pace, but only if McIlroy rediscovers the putting stroke that deserted him on Birkdale’s tricky surfaces.
