Open Championship: Rory McIlroy loses ball to train tracks as he and Bryson DeChambeau are derailed by grueling starts
Rory McIlroy studies his shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland. Pedro Salado/Getty Images CNN —
It was only last month that Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau were dueling for the US Open in the North Carolina sun. Yet, as the duo lumbered around a damp and windy Royal Troon on Thursday, that high-octane shootout might as well have taken place a lifetime ago.
Reigning US Open champion DeChambeau and runner-up McIlroy slogged to slow starts at the 152nd Open Championship in Scotland, carding opening rounds of five-over 76 and 78 respectively to plummet away from the early leaders.
Out to exorcise the demons of yet another heartbreaking major near-miss at Pinehurst No. 2, Northern Ireland’s McIlroy was even-par through his first seven holes before his day began to unravel at the iconic “Postage Stamp” eighth.
The world No. 2 winced in agony as his ball – which looked to have settled on the green of the 118-yard par-three – cruelly trickled into a nearby bunker. It took McIlroy two attempts to escape the sand, his exasperation compounded when his putt for bogey trickled inches past the cup.
That double bogey was followed up by yet another at the par-four 11th, kickstarted by an out of bounds drive that sailed onto the train tracks running down the right side of the fairway.
Forced to take a drop from the tee, McIlroy tapped in for six before more bunker trouble saw him add two more bogeys at the 15th and final holes.
“The course was playing tough,” the 35-year-old told reporters. “The conditions are very difficult in a wind that we haven’t seen so far this week … one of those days where I just didn’t adapt well enough to the conditions.”
It was another bitter day for McIlroy, who had looked on track to end his 10-year wait for a fifth major title at the US Open before he missed two putts from inside four feet across the last two holes to fall one shot shy of DeChambeau.
McIlroy – who had made his previous 496 putts from within three feet – was left inconsolable, speeding away in his car almost immediately after his American rival tapped in for victory before announcing he would be taking a few weeks away from the game to process “probably the toughest” day of his 17-year professional career.
The 26-time PGA Tour winner returned with a tied-fourth finish at last week’s Scottish Open in a strong warm-up for his pursuit of a second Open title, but now faces an uphill battle just to make the weekend, let alone add to the Claret Jug he won at Royal Liverpool in 2014.
“Your misses get punished a lot more this week than last week or even, geez, any week,” McIlroy said.
“All I need to focus on is tomorrow and try to make the cut. That’s all I can focus on.”