Rory McIlroy, the world number two, expressed his frustration over slow play warnings during the first round of the Irish Open. McIlroy, playing alongside Thriston Lawrence and Kristoffer Reitan, felt rushed and agitated, especially with the added attention from galleries and camera crews. He calls for officials to use common sense, considering the unique challenges his group faces. Despite the frustration, McIlroy is happy with his ball-striking and aims to fine-tune his game ahead of the Ryder Cup. Join us as we dive into McIlroy’s journey and the impact of slow play on his performance.
Rory Mroy, the world’s second ranked golfer, is calling for a dose of common sense after his group received a slow play warning during the first round of the Irish Open. This incident left the Northern Irish star feeling agitated and questioning the fairness of the decision. The Irish Open leaderboard so far, six, NL Vera, Spain. 5 D Brown, England, Bweezburgger, Austria, Asadier, France. Four, O Lindell, Finland, Daveto, France. Three. S. Lowry Ireland. C. Jarvis, South Africa. M. Lindberg, Sweden. Aayora, Spain. T. Akin, South Africa. Selected others. Negative1. R. Mroy, Northern Ireland. B. Kepka, USA. Plus 2. P. Harrington, Ireland. For a full look at the leaderboard, visit the BBC Sportgolf page here. https.com/sport/golf/leerboard. Mroy along with Thristen Lawrence and Christopher Wrightton found themselves under the watchful eye of the rules officials early in their round at the K Club. The tension escalated as the group was placed on the clock again during the final three holes, leading Mroy to bogey two of his last three holes, finishing with a one under 71 and sitting five shots behind the leader, Spain’s Nacho Alvivera. In all honesty, I felt a little rushed out there for the last 12 holes. Mroy shared with reporters. We got put on the clock pretty early and then the first official went away and then we were put on the clock for the last three holes to try to make time up. As the marquee player of the tournament, Nackroyy’s group drew large crowds and multiple camera crews, factors he believes should be considered when assessing the pace of play. This is the part most people miss. The impact of such attention on the player’s ability to maintain a steady rhythm. It’s hard because you feel a bit rushed. You’re playing some tough holes and our group has to deal with a lot more than any other group on the course, Mroy explained. So, it’s understandable that we lose time and I feel like anytime I either come back to Europe or I play in some of these high-profile groups, we’re always put on the clock for that reason. His frustration grew as he reflected on the situation. I got a little frustrated the last few holes because I feel like it always happens and I don’t think they use common sense. Of course, we’re going to lose ground because we have to wait on crowds and camera crews. There’s just a lot more going on with our group than any of the other groups on the course. And sometimes I feel like they have to give us a little bit of leeway and use a bit of common sense. The pace of play was further complicated by the struggles of his playing partners Lawrence and Raen who both hit their balls into the water on the seventh hole. Despite this, Mroy noted that the issue wasn’t solely about saving time. But here’s where it gets controversial. He felt that the constant pressure of being on the clock was more about the heightened attention his group received, which often isn’t a factor for other players. Despite the challenges, Mroy remained optimistic about his performance. He mixed five birdies with four bogeies in a roller coaster round, but was pleased with his ball striking. Ball striking wise, I thought I was pretty good today, he said. Around the greens, for the most part, I was good, but I missed a couple of mid-range putts towards the end to save par and then that one at the last for birdie. I hit decent putts. I’m just hitting edges, so hopefully I can get it going tomorrow and shoot a low one. Home favorite Shane Lowry, who carted three birdies in his last six holes to stay at three under, and fivetime major winner Brooks Kepka, who matched Mroy 71, are also looking to build momentum heading into the RDER Cup. Like Mroy, Lowry is aiming to regain form after his last top 10 finish at the truest championship in May. Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald was among those who played in the afternoon session alongside England’s Tierrell Hatton. Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibben and former Masters winner Patrick Reed defending champion Raasmus Holgard however is not competing this week after withdrawing. What do you think? Should Mroy group be given more leeway considering the extra attention they receive or does everyone need to adhere to the same rules regardless of the circumstances? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
