On a day when the wind got up and the afternoon conditions were much more difficult than the benign light breezes of the morning, Rory McIlroy’s response was impressive, especially after a short missed putt for bogey on the first.
McIlroy then set about getting his round under par figures and even with a further bogey on the final hole he achieved that goal.
Although the World Number 1 is five off the lead after the first round, with a one-under par 71, to have survived the winds of the afternoon and to have found that his injured ankle stood up to the challenge of his first competitive round in 53 days left him well pleased.
“I thought it was good, it was a solid round of golf,” he said. “I’m happy with the way I struck the ball.
“I was pretty nervous on the first tee and it was nice to get that opening tee-shot out of the way and although it wasn’t the best of starts, to hit those two shots on the second hold and make birdie, that sort of settled me down and I could get into the round.
“Anything under-par this afternoon was a good score.”
McIlroy leads the Irish challenge as none of the others, who were all out in the warm winds of the afternoon, managed to equal par.
Graeme McDowell bogeyed the last three holes for a 73. Padraig Harrington shot a 76 while Shane Lowry and Darren Clarke posted 78.
Lowry, after his win on Sunday in the Bridgestone Invitational admitted to feeling a little tired and in his own words, his head was ‘a little all over the place’.
The lead is held by Dustin Johnson who came so close to winning the US Open in June and again he’s featuring in a major after benefiting from the earlier, calm conditions and taking his chance with a six-under-par 66 which leads by a shot from the 67 of Sweden’s David Lingmerth.
