Newcastle, United Kingdom: Tournament host Rory McIlroy faces the embarrassment of missing the cut for a second week in succession after posting his worst European round in five years on day one of the Irish Open.
At Newcastle in Northern Ireland, the world number one failed to record a single birdie in a shock round of a nine over par 80 on a difficult day of steady wind and intermittent showers at the Royal County Down course.
McIlroy ended the round sharing 150th place in the now 155-player field and trailing a massive 13 shots behind the leading duo of fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington and Germany’s Maximilian Kieffer.
Harrington, winner of the event in 2007, and Kieffer carded rounds of four under par 67 to be a shot clear of Denmark’s Soren Hansen, who captured the tournament in 2002.
Germany’s double Major winner Martin Kaymer, who played alongside McIloy, also struggled in signing for an eight over par 79 to be tied in 143rd palce in the €2.5 million event.
McIlroy’s score is his poorest in Europe since a similar score of 80 on day two of the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews.
It is also only the fourth time he’s shot 80 or higher since turning professional in late 2007, while it is the first occasion since the 2012 Memorial on the PGA Tour McIlroy has not managed a birdie.
“Off the tee I felt my game was okay and I put myself in positions, but then as I got closer to the greens, the worse it got,” said McIlroy.
“I didn’t hit very many good iron shots and then from there my putting wasn’t that good with my speed off and I sort of just lost concentration on the greens.
“So nothing went right and I was trying hard to birdie the last to try and break 80 but it just didn’t quite happen.”
—AFP
