World number four Rory McIlroy was reasonably happy with a two-under-par opening round of 69 that left him three shots off the early lead at the Open.
The Ulster man was many players who made their score on the downwind front nine before struggling on the tougher inward half.
McIlroy had reached four under par after eight holes - including a birdie on the famous Postage Stamp where he had taken nine in practice - but his round was in danger of unravelling when he double-bogeyed the 13th and dropped another shot on the next.
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However, the 27-year-old bounced back with a birdie on the 15th and was satisfied to get his bid for a second title off to a solid start.
"I think if I would've stepped on the first tee and someone would have given me a 69, I probably would have taken it," McIlroy said. "But if somebody had given me that score on the 10th, I probably wouldn't have.
"But I knew today was a day where you had to make the most of the conditions because I don't think we're going to see the course like this for the rest of the week. I think the elements are going to be a bit of a challenge. But two under par, something in the 60s, it's a solid start.
"I think you're looking at something at around eight or 10 under par that might win this tournament and I felt like I got off to a good start in trying to achieve that."
Meanwhile, last year's amateur sensation Paul Dunne admitted he was not enjoying his golf after a dismal start to his latest Open challenge at Royal Troon.
The 23-year-old Greystones, who went into the final round at St Andrews with a share of the lead 12 months ago, shot a disappointing opening six-over-par 77 at the Scottish venue.
His round fell apart as he dropped seven shots on the back nine while he and playing partners Scott Piercy and Jamie Lovemark were put on the clock for a spell for slow play.
"I've been playing rubbish for the past month anyway and it's just a continuation of what's been happening"
Dunne, who turned professional after last year's Walker Cup, said: "I played okay on the front nine, but it's not hard to. But I turned for the back nine into the wind and I got found out.
"But I've been playing rubbish for the past month anyway and it's just a continuation of what's been happening.
"It's technical and it's mental, it's a bit of everything. I'm just not enjoying it. I just need to fix a few things, but I don't know what. If I did, I don't think I'd have been so bad for so long.
"If I miss the cut here I think it will be six out of seven missed cuts, which is pretty pathetic. I'll be glad to have a break after this week."
Dunne felt confident last year but concedes he feared the worst time.
He said: "I was playing better, I was hitting it better. I could have told you going into that week (last year) I was going to do okay, and I could have told you two days ago I was going to play badly today. That is just the way it goes."
