Frustrating start for McIlroy

Rory McIlroy was left to rue several missed opportunities as he opened with a one-over-par 71 at the US Open on Thursday.
The round still leaves him very much in the hunt with the leaders hovering at around two under par at the time he reached the clubhouse, but the Northern Irishman will still know it could have been much better.
McIlroy missed good birdie chances on the first two holes, from 20 feet at the first but just four feet on the second, and was unable to birdie the par-5 fifth, in contrast to his playing partner Graeme McDowell.
Birdies at nine and 18 were also erased by dropped shots at the sixth, seventh and 16th.
While his putter didn’t give him much joy, McIlroy was impressed with the rest of his game.
“I played beautifully from tee to green and really happy with that,” he said. “I’m just going to work a little bit on my speed on the greens. If I can get that dialed in, then pretty confident going into the next three days.
“The only thing I was frustrated on was more the speed of how I hit the putts,” he added. “It wasn’t so much they missed. Even if they missed, if they were a better speed I would be a bit more happy with that.”
Latest
-
European Tour
Keith Pelley hits back at 16 players threatening DP World Tour with legal action
Pelley says the sanctions against players who competed in the first LIV Golf event are ‘proportionate’ and ‘fair’.
-
PGA Tour
JT Poston takes two-shot lead at John Deere Classic
The 29-year-old also became the first player on record to open consecutive Tour events with 62 or better.
-
European Tour
Ryan Fox surprised to be leading after opening round of Horizon Irish Open
The New Zealander carded a flawless 64 to set the pace at Mount Juliet.
-
News
Defiant Lee Westwood does not believe playing in LIV should harm Ryder Cup hopes
Westwood doesn’t agree with penalties and sanctions.
-
News
Shane Lowry welcomes closer ties between Tours in response to threat from LIV
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced the next phase of their strategic alliance.
-
News
Padraig Harrington fears LIV series poses threat to future of DP World Tour
The US Senior Open champion thinks there is only room for the PGA and one other tour in the world game.
-
News
Steve Stricker makes Padraig Harrington sweat as Irishman wins US Senior Open
The pair were rival captains in last year’s Ryder Cup in Wisconsin.
-
News
Golfers warned of further sanctions if they continue to play in LIV breakaway
The DP World Tour has issued fines of £100,000 and tournament bans to its members who played in the inaugural LIV Golf event earlier this month
-
European Tour
DP World Tour hits members who played inaugural LIV series with £100,000 fines
They have also been banned from several forthcoming tournaments including the Scottish Open.
-
News
Rory McIlroy not impressed as Brooks Koepka becomes latest big name to join LIV
The world number two labelled the players who have joined the new series as “duplicitous” for the way they have handled their breakaway.