Rory McIlroy described his opening round at The Open as containing "too many stupid mistakes," after a rollercoaster performance left him seven shots off the lead. The Northern Irishman struggled particularly with his putting, missing several short putts that contributed to bogeys and stalled his momentum.
Despite driving the ball exceptionally long, at times reaching 389 yards, McIlroy found trouble on the greens. He noted that putts seemed to break unexpectedly, making it difficult to trust his stroke. This led to a series of missed opportunities, including three four-footers in four holes. "It's tough to get out of that and stay committed to what you're trying to do on the greens," McIlroy commented.
His opening loop at Royal Birkdale was marked by a mix of brilliance and frustration. Moments after a wayward approach led to a bunker shot and a bogey on the 17th, McIlroy responded with a long approach from 220 yards on the 18th, draining a birdie putt to finish his round at two-over par. He had previously experienced a similar pattern, sinking an eagle putt on the ninth after a long drive, only to give a birdie back on the following hole after missing a short putt.
By the end of his round, McIlroy ranked 148th out of 156 competitors in strokes gained putting. He expressed hope for improved conditions, including smoother greens, for his second round. "Hopefully we'll get the better conditions tomorrow and maybe the greens are a little bit smoother in the morning," he said. "Go out there and shoot a good one and get myself right back in it for the weekend."
McIlroy acknowledged the need to eliminate these costly errors moving forward, but also aimed to focus on the positives, such as his driving performance. "I made too many sloppy mistakes and just need to cut those out," he concluded.