TROON, Scotland (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy's hopes of a fifth major title were blown apart at Royal Troon as he shot a seven-over 78 in his first round at the Open on Thursday -- reviving memories of 2019.
The Northern Irishman, bidding to end a 10-year major drought, began with a bogey and although he recovered from that setback, his round unravelled on the Ayrshire coast.
His real problems began at the par-three eighth, the notorious Postage Stamp, where McIlroy found sand with his tee shot and then his recovery rolled back into the bunker.
He walked off with a double-bogey five and made another double at the 11th after going out of bounds over the railway tracks that run alongside the course.
The 35-year-old dropped further shots on the 15th and 18th and now faces a huge job to make the cut, as he did at Royal Portrush five years ago after an eight-over opening round.
"Yeah, a difficult day. I felt like I did okay for the first part of the round and then missed the green at the Postage Stamp there and left it in and made a double," McIlroy told reporters.
"But still, felt like I was in reasonable enough shape being a couple over through nine, thinking that I could maybe get those couple shots back, try to shoot even par.
"Then hitting the ball out of bounds on 11, making a double there. Even though the wind on the back nine was helping, it was a lot off the left. I was actually surprised how difficult I felt like the back nine played."
McIlroy looked like ending his wait for a fifth major when he led the U.S. Open last month but three bogeys in his final four holes, including two where he missed putts inside four feet, meant he lost to American Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke.
He received warm support on Thursday but again it was a frustrating day as conditions caught him out.
"The course was playing tough. The conditions are very difficult in a wind that we haven't seen so far this week," McIlroy said. "You play your practice rounds, you have a strategy that you think is going to help you get around the golf course, but then when you get a wind you haven't played in.
"Yeah, just one of those days where I just didn't adapt well enough to the conditions."
At Portrush, McIlroy almost made amends as he carded a second-round 65, just missing the cut.
He is likely to need a similar response on Friday.
"All I need to focus on is tomorrow and try to make the cut. That's all I can focus on," McIlroy, who won the 2014 Open at Hoylake, said.
"The conditions look like they're going to be pretty similar again tomorrow. I need to go out there and try to shoot something under-par and at least be here for the weekend."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)
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