Rory McIlroy found a bit of success early Thursday in the Amgen Irish Open, but lost ground late with back-to-back bogeys. He shot 1-under 71 at The K Club in Kildare, Ireland, and was five off the early pace set by Nacho Elvira, Thorbjorn Olesen, and Romain Langasque. ‘Actually pretty encouraged how I played. Just didn’t score as well as I wanted to,’ McIlroy said. Game feels pretty good. Off the tee was good. A continuation of what I saw at East Lake a couple weeks ago. But being more efficient with scoring.
When you’re a professional golfer, every stroke matters. But what happens when late mistakes undo all the hard work from earlier in the round? That’s exactly what happened to Rory Mroy during the first round of the Amjun Irish Open on Thursday. Despite showing flashes of brilliance early in his game, back-to-back bogeies toward the end left him trailing behind the leaders, a moment that could define his tournament fate. Nakroy finished the day with a solid but not spectacular one under 71 at the K club in Kildair Ireland. While he kept himself in the mix, he found himself five shots behind the front runners Nacho Alvara Thorbjorn Olsen and Roma Langaskque. Honestly, I’m pretty encouraged by how I played today, Mroy shared after the round. I just didn’t convert as many scoring opportunities as I would have liked. He went on to explain that his driving was sharp. continuing the form he displayed recently at East Lake. However, it was the finer details like capitalizing on shorter putts that let him down. What makes this particularly intriguing is how close Mroy came to seizing control of the leaderboard. Playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, he gave them plenty to cheer about early on, sinking birdies on holes 11 and 13, which were his second and fourth holes of the day. A minor setback occurred with a bogey on the 15th hole, but Mroy quickly rebounded with birdies on both parfives, the 16th and 18th holes. At that point, turning in three underpar, things looked promising for the Northern Irishman. After all, this is the very course where he clinched his only Irish Open title back in 2016. But here’s where it gets controversial and perhaps even frustrating for fans. Just when it seemed like Mroy might pull ahead, a costly bogey on the second hole, his 11th, slowed his momentum. Then came the real heartbreak, missing critical putts late in the round. An 8-footer for par on the seventh slipped past the edge while a challenging proach shot on the par 38 led to another dropped stroke. The final blow, missing an 11 ft birdie putt on the last hole that could have given him a muchneeded confidence boost heading into Friday’s action. I felt like my ball striking was strong today, Miklroy reflected. Around the greens, for the most part, I did okay, too. But those mid-range putts at the end, they just didn’t fall. I hit decent strokes, though. They graze the edges. It’s moments like these that can make or break a golfer’s mindset moving forward. Will Mikroy bounce back stronger, or will these near misses linger in his mind? Meanwhile, Shane Lowry, playing directly ahead of Miklroy, delivered a commendable performance with a two under 69. Lowry credited a new driver for helping him find consistency, adding, “It’s been tough finding the right club this year, so I’m thrilled with how it performed today.” His round included four birdies against just one bogey, a testament to his growing comfort level. Brooks Kepka making his debut in the event matched Mroyy’s score of 1 under 71 proving that adapting to unfamiliar courses can still yield respectable results. On the flip side, Thristen Lawrence, who triumphed last week at the Omega European Masters, struggled significantly, carding an 81. This stark contrast between players highlights the unpredictable nature of golf tournaments. One week you’re unstoppable, the next you’re searching for answers. The drama wasn’t limited to individual performances either. Weather conditions forced officials to suspend play for 35 minutes in the afternoon due to dangerous weather. As darkness fell, the final groups were wrapping up their rounds, ensuring everyone would start fresh on Friday morning. And this is the part most people miss. How do top athletes like Mroy mentally reset after a day filled with highs and lows? Is it better to focus on the positives or dwell on the mistakes to avoid repeating them? These are questions worth pondering as we watch his journey unfold. If you’re eager to see whether Mroy can turn things around in round two, tune in to the Golf Channel starting at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time on Friday. You won’t want to miss it. So, what’s your take? Do you think Mroy has what it takes to claw his way back to the top, or will the pressure get the best of him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
