1 week ago
4
Paolo UggettiJul 17, 2025, 05:36 PM ET
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland -- Six years is simply a agelong clip to wait, but arsenic Rory McIlroy stepped onto the archetypal tee container astatine Royal Portrush connected Thursday and the loud, but tense cheers from the dense Northern Ireland assemblage washed implicit him, the clip that had passed since the Open took spot present successful 2019 appeared to beryllium conscionable enough.
"Look, I consciousness the enactment of an full state retired there, which is simply a fantastic presumption to beryllium in, but astatine the aforesaid time, you don't privation to fto them down," McIlroy said aft an opening-round, 1-under 70. "So there's that small spot of added pressure. I felt similar I dealt with it truly good today. Certainly dealt with it amended than I did six years ago."
The opening tee changeable astatine Portrush is simply a gauntlet, with retired of bounds connected either broadside of its 70-yard-wide fairway. In 2019, McIlroy said helium was affected by the emotion surrounding his instrumentality to his location state and proceeded to marque a messiness of the hole. He carded a quadruple-bogey 8 en way to an opening-round 79 and went connected to miss the cut.
An older, much prepared and much palmy McIlroy emerged Thursday connected No. 1, taking his clip to work the wind, treble cheque his yardage book, plaything his driving robust and astir importantly, get the shot successful play.
"I didn't consciousness similar I was walking into the chartless this clip around, wherever past clip I hadn't experienced that before. I hadn't played an Open astatine home. I didn't cognize however I was going to feel," McIlroy said aft his round. "I didn't cognize the absorption I was going to get, wherever this clip I had a amended thought of what was going to beryllium coming my way."
Though helium missed the fairway, McIlroy was capable to bounds the harm to a bogey this clip around. Missing fairways would beryllium portion of the communicative of his archetypal circular -- the reigning Masters champion deed lone 2 of 14 -- but successful response, McIlroy was capable to scramble exceptionally well. By the 10th hole, helium was 3-under par and adjacent the apical of the leaderboard.
His errant play disconnected the tee yet caught up with him arsenic helium played the adjacent 4 holes successful 3 over. But erstwhile it appeared that McIlroy was acceptable to grounds different disappointing opening round, helium rallied, turning 16 and 17 into birdie holes and making par connected the past to enactment nether par heading into Friday.
"I felt like, erstwhile we turned for home, similar played 10 and turned backmost and played 11, the upwind picked up a small bit, and it conscionable became that small spot much difficult," McIlroy said. "It was a pugnacious capable day, particularly either chopping retired of the unsmooth oregon retired of the fairway bunkers astir of the time. So to sprout nether par was a bully effort."
Throughout the day, the location assemblage did its champion to volition McIlroy forward. Chants of "Come on, Rory!" and "Let's spell Rory!" could beryllium heard passim the grounds.
McIlroy, who said earlier this week that helium was readying connected embracing the adulation much this clip around, called the reception "absolutely incredible." After finishing his round, McIlroy was amazed to spot that the leaders were inactive astatine 4-under par, which enactment him successful an perfect presumption to pursuit erstwhile helium heads backmost retired onto the people Friday morning.
"Only 3 backmost with 54 holes to go," McIlroy said. "I'm truly blessed with wherever I am."
