Earlier this week Rory McIlroy admitted he couldn’t handle the emotion or the setting that unfolded six years ago when the Open Championship returned to Royal Portrush after a half-century absence.
This time around McIlroy said he would embrace it all. Every young fan wanting an autograph. Everyone in every pub from Belfast to Bushmills picking him to win. And a first-tee ovation suitable, yes, for the country’s favourite son. But also, for the man who had reached the very top of golfing success four months’ prior.
And he gave them plenty to cheer for — with potential for even more over the next three days.
McIlroy, who was climbing the board early after getting to 3 under through 10 holes, made three costly bogeys coming in but added a tidy final circle on the card on the par-4 17th. He shot a 1 under 70 (a nine-shot improvement from his first round in 2019) and is just three shots back of the lead heading into Friday.
The lead is shared by five golfers including former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and winner already this year Harris English — whose normal caddie couldn’t even enter Northern Ireland due a drug conviction three decades ago and spending 10 years in prison.
But regardless of the names and numbers near the top of the board — Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, is just one back of the lead at 3 under — the eyes and the hearts of everyone was on McIlroy Thursday.
“Look, I feel the support of an entire country out there, which is a wonderful position to be in, but at the same time, you don't want to let them down. So, there's that little bit of added pressure. I felt like I dealt with it really well today. Certainly dealt with it better than I did six years ago,” McIlroy said. “I was just happy to get off to a good start and get myself into the tournament.”
In 2019 McIlroy pumped his opening tee shot out of bounds en route to making an eight on the first hole. While he did make a bogey on No. 1 Thursday, he got into red figures awfully quickly after that.
There was no letup in Royal Portrush, or the glacial pace of the opener, with rounds through the wind and the rain nearly kissing six hours in length.
“I had it going 3-under through 10 and let a few slip there around the middle of the round. I steadied the ship well, played the last four at 1-under, and it was nice to shoot under par,” McIlroy said.
He also managed to do it without his main attacking weapon — the driver. McIlroy hit a disastrous two fairways of 14 on Thursday, the lowest in his major career, and ended the day 132nd in strokes gained: off the tee. The rest of his game was fine enough, and he still came out of Thursday 23rd in strokes gained: total.
“it was a tough enough day, especially either chopping out of the rough or out of the fairway bunkers most of the time. So, to shoot under par was a good effort,” McIlroy said. “There's a few guys at 4-under, but I'm surprised 4-under is leading. I thought someone might have gone out there and shot 6 or 7 today.
“Only three back with 54 holes to go, I'm really happy with where I am.”
McIlroy wasn’t the only golfer to struggle to find fairways on Thursday, as Scheffler, the game’s best driver of the golf ball, managed to find the short grass just three times. With a laugh, Scheffler said ‘no’ when he was asked if there was any particular shot he found memorable on Thursday.
He remains the favourite after the first round and sitting just one back of the leaders as he hunts for his 11th straight top-10 finish and fourth win of the season — and second major.
The crowds of Northern Ireland appreciate good golf, and good golfers. But no one had as big of a reception as the native son. Everyone has a story about their Rory. Even a now member of the media told McIlroy when he was 16, he was the standard bearer scorer for him when McIlroy was the same age and playing a DP World Tour event.
McIlroy wore a grey sweater and off-white trousers and a white hat and a big smile — and, certainly through the front nine Thursday, a bounce in his step — to open his 2025 Open Championship.
“I didn't feel like I was walking into the unknown this time around, where last time I hadn't experienced that before. I hadn't played an Open at home,” McIlroy said. “I didn't know how I was going to feel, I didn't know the reaction I was going to get, where this time I had a better idea of what was going to be coming my way.”
With the opener now closed, McIlroy can concentrate on, well, trying to win the whole thing.
Canadians struggle Thursday at the Open
It was a forgettable Thursday for the Canadian contingent at Royal Portrush with each of the four finishing over par.
Mackenzie Hughes shot an 8-over 79 while Nick Taylor stumbled with a closing double bogey to finish at 6-over 77.
Taylor Pendrith shot a 4-over 75 but, it should be noted, he also was 4 over through his first four holes — after hitting his first tee shot out of bounds — and managed to hold on tight the rest of the way in his debut at the Open Championship.
Corey Conners was the best of the bunch with a 3-over 74 and if there’s any solace, he gained strokes on the field in both ball-striking and off the tee.
