McIlroy’s Horror Closing Triple-Bogey Ruins Superb Start In Jack’s Event

11 months ago by Comments Off on McIlroy’s Horror Closing Triple-Bogey Ruins Superb Start In Jack’s Event

A horror closing hole triple-bogey robbed Rory McIlroy a share of second on the opening day of the Jack Nicklaus hosted Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.

The World No. 4 was left to again wonder in posting an unlucky ‘7’ to drop from three-under and post a level par 72 to tumble back to a distant tie for 32nd on the host Muirfield course.

It had been a great start for McIlroy, looking set to make it four scores of 69s in succession and this after three 69s in a row from round two to four at last month’s PGA Championship where the two-time Wanamaker Trophy champ shared fourth place.

Alas, it was not to be for the affable Northern Irishman

Instead, Shane Lowry was left to enjoy leading Irish honours and tied in a big group in second very late on day one of the $20m event on the famed Muirfield Village course.

England’s Matt Wallace led the way late in the day with a four-under 68, and after Jordan Spieth also made a mess of the last in taking a bogey in his round of 69 to join Lowry’s group on three-under.

Lowry was seeing the Muirfield holes like a bucket, starting from the 10th tee to birdie holes 11 through to 15 with the best of the five in holing a 36-footer for a ‘2’ at the par-3 12th hole.

It put the Offlay golfer into the lead before dropping shots at the 18th hole or his ninth and at the next ahead of second hole birdie and seen closing pars.

Lowry’s effort is a best opener since a 68 at the Masters and with the World No. 26 delighted with his efforts.

“I got off to a very hot start and rolled in some lovely putts early on,” said Lowry.

“You’re not going to keep that going all day as I had a couple of slip ups including a bogey at 16 (His seventh Hole) where I wasn’t aggressive enough.

“You’re going to make bogeys around this course after hitting bad shots.

“As well, the wind got up a little bit. It g ot warmer and started to get firmer. You have to hit fairways. I missed a few fairways and it’s — you miss fairways you’re struggling for pars.

“But if you hit fairways, the greens are so good that you can give yourself plenty, and as the week gets on and it gets firmer and faster there will be a lot of 3-woods and 5-woods off the tee for me”.

Seamus Power was just a shot back of his fellow Irishman capping his round with a hat-trick of birdies from his sixth hole in a two-under 70 to be inside the top-10 as the afternoon half of the field were beginning to end their rounds

“Most aspects of my game were pretty good today, to be honest,” said Power.

“I know made a couple of mistakes but it’s tough out there. You can’t really afford to miss a fairway on certain spots and there are very few things you can miss so it’s just tough going.

“I did a lot of things well. Would like to have one or two back but that’s just golf in general”.

And with a handful of Europeans inside the clubhouse leading 10, among them Jon Rahm in also shooting a 70, Power was pleased to be in good company

“Yeah, I mean, I was just trying to keep up,” said Power smiling.  “Matt (Wallace) played lovely around there.

“And I always love it when guys making putts in your group as the case out there this morning. It just gets the mojo going in the group a little bit and he got off to a really good start and definitely pulled me around a little bit.”

MEANTIME …

Holywood’s Tom McKibbin was among just 19 players to break par on the opening day of the Porsche European Open in Hamburg.

McKibbin posted three birdies and one less bogey on one of the toughest courses to host a DP World Tour, and with the host Green Eagle course playing to a par 73.

The duo of local hero Max Kieffer and Swede Simon Forsstrom share the lead by a shot with four-under 69s.

Kinsale’s John Murphy signed for a one-over 74.



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