Rory McIlroy pleased with strong start at the 150th Open
‘I birdied the holes I should have and only made one mistake’: Rory McIlroy pleased with strong start at the 150th Open as Northern Irishman cards superb six-under 66 in the opening round at St Andrews
- Rory McIlroy made a perfect start by draining a monster putt at the opening hole
- Northern Irishman closed with a birdie for a six-under 66 in the opening round
- American Cameron Young set an imposing clubhouse target of eight-under-par
Rory McIlroy was delighted with his strong start at the 150th Open after carding a six-under 66 at St Andrews.
The Northern Irishman drained a 55-foot for birdie on the opening hole in the first round on Thursday.
The parched conditions meant McIlroy was able to hit a long iron to the left-hand side of the 18th green to set up a closing birdie.
‘I played well, very solid,’ McIlroy said. ‘Everyone knows you have to make your score going out and I did that.
‘Started off tremendously with a bonus on the first, birdied the par five (fifth), a couple of the short par fours and then on the back nine you pick off a couple on the 14th and 18th.
‘I birdied the holes I should have and only made one mistake and the way this course is playing it’s all about limiting your mistakes.’
American Cameron Young set an imposing clubhouse target on day one of the 150th Open Championship as McIlroy’s delayed return to St Andrews proved well worth the wait.
Making his tournament debut and playing just the sixth major of his career, Young carded eight birdies in a flawless 64, a score only McIlroy has beaten in the opening round of an Open on the Old Course.
McIlroy’s 63 came back in 2010 and was followed by an 80 in terrible weather, while an ankle injury suffered playing football prevented him from defending his Open title at the same venue in 2015.
The four-time major winner admitted this week therefore felt like the title defence he never had and he got off to a brilliant start, holing from 55 feet for birdie on the first and making seven in total in his 66.
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