Rory McIlroy score today: World No. 2 posts terrible opening round to start Open Championship

The Open Championship is supposed to be the major for Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman has excelled at the major, winning it all in 2014 and finishing in the top-5 five other times during his lengthy and successful career on the PGA Tour.

After crumbling to finish the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, the tournament at Royal Troon was a chance for McIlroy to find his footing yet again. The World No. 2 golfer hasn't won a major in a decade, but this year's Open Championship provided a chance to snap that streak.

After Round 1 on Thursday, McIlroy will be lucky to make it to the weekend, let alone be in contention to win the Claret Jug on Sunday,

McIlroy put together his worst opening round at a major since 2019, finishing with a 78 in South Ayrshire, Scotland. From errant shots off the tee to struggles through bunkers to more missed putts, the errors came early and often for the four-time major champion.

The conditions at Royal Troon did not do McIlroy any favors, as strong winds thorughout the day affected all the pros out on the course.

"I felt okay," McIlroy said. "I've come in here playing really well. I think if anything it was more the conditions got the better of me, those crosswinds. Once we turned on the back nine, those left to right winds, I was struggling to hold the ball. The double [bogey] at 11 didn't help and then a couple of bogeys coming in as well."

It puts McIlroy in a rough position entering Round 2 on Friday, and continues his struggles dating back to the U.S. Open in June.

"I need to go out there and play better, try to shoot something under par and at least be here for the weekend, if not try to push myself up the leaderboard a bit more and give myself half a chance," McIlroy said of his approach to Friday.

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Here is more to know about McIlroy's rough day during the first round of the 2024 Open Championship.

Rory McIlroy score today

McIlroy's opening round at Royal Troon was one to forget.

The World No. 2 golfer started out fine to kick off his 2024 Open Championship. A bogey on No. 1 was followed by par and a birdie on No. 3 to bring him back even. He shot for par for the next four holes.

Then things went downhill. No. 8, dubbed Postage Stamp, caused back-to-back bunker shots for McIlroy, leading to a double bogey on No. 8. As a result, he finished 2-over through the front nine.

The round went from bad to worse on the back nine for McIlroy. A bogey on No. 10 was followed by a double bogey on No. 11, putting him 5-over par. A bogey on No. 15 and a bogey to end the day on No. 18 gave him a scorecard of 78, entering Friday at 7-over par.

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When was the last time Rory McIlroy won a major?

It's been almost a decade since the last time McIlroy earned a win at a major tournament. In 2014, the Northern Irishman emerged victorious at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

He trailed by one stroke after the first round, but he moved into sole possession of first place after the first 36 holes. Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, and Henrick Stenson all made a run at McIlroy in the final round, while the group also battled the pending darkness at Valhalla. It made for an enticing and dramatic finish, but a par on the 18th hole secured McIlroy's first-place finish, winning the PGA Championship for the second time. He shot 16-under at the competition.

Rory McIlroy Open Championship history

McIlroy was successful in winning the Claret Jug in 2014. At the time, it was his third major in his career, and he seemed destined to win at least one more.

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A decade later, he is still looking for another win at the Open. His closest finish came in 2022 at St. Andrew's when he suffered a similar collapse to the one he had in June at the U.S. Open. Missed opportunities to put the match away, paired with a ferocious final round by Australian Cameron Smith, led to McIlory finishing third, watching as Smith claimed his first major.

Here is a look at the full Open Championship results for McIlroy in his career.