Golf

A shot-by-shot look at Rory McIlroy's nightmare Open start

 Rory McIlroy tees off at the Open. Picture by David Davies, PA Wire
 Rory McIlroy tees off at the Open. Picture by David Davies, PA Wire
By Carl Markham

Open favourite Rory McIlroy had a nightmare start to his bid to win the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush after a quadruple-bogey eight at the first.

Northern Ireland's big hope for a home winner could not have begun in worse fashion, having hit his tee shot out of bounds.

PA looks at just how badly it went, shot by shot.

1 - McIlroy takes a two-iron off the tee for safety but tugs it left and it lands five feet out of bounds having hit and damaged the mobile phone of a spectator.

2 - Penalty stroke

3 - The Northern Irishman reloads but his second attempt off the tee, again with an iron, finishes in the left rough

4 - Hits a shot from 155 yards into a bush to the left of the green and is forced to call an unplayable lie

5 - Penalty stroke

6 - Chips to eight feet

7 - Misses with a putt which drifts to the right of the hole

8 - Taps in the return putt for a quadruple-bogey eight

The Northern Irish golfer teed off shortly after 10am with US Open champion Gary Woodland and England’s Paul Casey.

Earlier Darren Clarke hit the opening shot of the Championship.

The 2011 champion has a house overlooking the course and played a big part in the British Open’s return to his home links.

Clarke said he was asked three weeks ago by the R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers to hit the opening tee shot. “I was honoured to be asked,” said Clarke.

"It's Royal Portrush, it's the first time it has been here for 68 years and I gladly accepted," Clarke said. "Sometimes it can also be a good draw teeing off so early."

In a bridging of the generations, joining 50-year-old Clarke on the first tee was 22-year-old Corkman James Sugrue, the British Amateur champion. Also in their 6.35am group was American Charley Hoffman.

All six Irish players had early tee times.

Portrush native Graeme McDowell was grouped with Henrik Stenson and Xander Schauffele at 9.14am.

Pádraig Harrington was scheduled for a 7.30am tee time with Matt Fitzpatrick and American Andrew Putnam.

Shane Lowry hit off at 7.52am with Phil Mickelson and Branden Grace.

Others to watch

Three-time champion Tiger Woods, who won his 15th major at the Masters in April, is out at 15:10.

Woods will play with his Ryder Cup team-mate Patrick Reed and England's Matt Wallace.

World number one Brooks Koepka, who won the US PGA Championship in May and finished second at both the Masters and US Open this year, is out at 13:04. His caddie Ricky Elliott is also a Portrush native, which may help overcome a perceived lack of links experience. 

 Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke tees off the 1st to start day one of The Open Championship 2019 at Royal Portrush Golf Club. Picture by Richard Sellers/PA Wire.
 Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke tees off the 1st to start day one of The Open Championship 2019 at Royal Portrush Golf Club. Picture by Richard Sellers/PA Wire.