McIlroy ‘encouraged’ despite up-and-down start

Irish Open, leaderboard for the first round

-6 N Elvira (Spa), -5 D Brown (Eng), B Wiesberger (Aut), A Saddier (Fra), -4 O Lindell (Fin), A Halvorsen (Nor), -3 S Lowry (Ire)

Among the others: -1 R. McIlroy (NI), -2 B. Koepka (US), and -2 P. Harrington (Ire).

Despite a poor first round of the Irish Open, a cheerful Rory McIlroy claims that his game is “a little bit” coming together before the Ryder Cup.

Northern Irishman McIlroy, who is competing in his final event before Europe’s bid to retain the Ryder Cup against the USA this month, recorded five birdies and four bogeys on Thursday at the K Club.

The Masters champion finished tied for fifth after dropping shots at two of his final three holes to shoot a one-under-par 71.

I bogeyed two of the final three holes because I had the ball well driven and hit it well.

“But I think my play is pretty encouraging.” Simply put, I didn’t perform as well as I should.

After opening with a bogey-free 66, Spain’s Nacho Elvira, Bernd Wiesberger, Dan Brown, Dan Brown, and Adrien Saddier are one shot ahead of them.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka went round in 71 while home favorite Shane Lowry carded a birdie in the opening round.

McIlroy, who will compete in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next week, said: “My] game feels pretty good.

McIlroy said he planned to use the next few weeks to improve his game at the K Club and Wentworth before the Ryder Cup, after finishing the PGA Tour season in low-key fashion with ties for 12th and 23rd in his previous two events.

The world number two showed some incredible potential, but errors prevented him from achieving that position.

He made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole and added another at the 13th, but he won after finding water off the tee on the 15th when he first hit the hole.

He bogeyed the second hole after finding the trees with his tee shot after collecting birdie fours on the 16th and 18th holes.

He was three under when he hit another birdie four at the fourth, but he slammed into back-to-back bogeys on the seventh and eighth before letting a birdie putt pass on the final hole after missing a chance on the sixth.

McIlroy, who won the Irish Open only once at the K Club in 2016, said, “Ball-striking wise, I thought I was pretty good today.

“I was good around the greens most of the time, but I did miss a few mid-range putts in the final round to save par and then that one in the final round for birdie.”

To stay in touch, Lowry carded three birdies on six of his final six holes.

The former Open champion, who finished last in the top 10, hopes to improve his form for the Ryder Cup like McIlroy, who finished last in the top 10 at the Truist Championship in May.

Luke Donald, the Ryder Cup captain, was present at the K Club for the afternoon games.

At lunchtime, Tom McKibbin, a member of Donald’s team, and Tyrrell Hatton, an England international, and Patrick Reed, a former Masters winner, also teed off.