Irish Open, first-round leaderboard
-6N Elvira (Spa);-5D Brown (Eng), B Wiesberger (Aut), A Saddier (Fra);-4O Lindell (Fin), D Ravetto (Fra);-3S Lowry (Ire), C Jarvis (SA), M Lindberg (Swe), A Ayora (Spa), T Aiken (SA)
Selected others: -1R McIlroy (NI), B Koepka (US);+2P Harrington (Ire)
Full leaderboard
Rory McIlroy called on rules officials to use “common sense” after his group was given a slow play warning during the first round of the Irish Open.
The world number two, who was playing with Thriston Lawrence and Kristoffer Reitan, said he felt “agitated” after being put on the clock during Thursday’s round at the K Club.
McIlroy bogeyed two of his last three holes to shoot a one-under 71 and sit five shots off Spain’s Nacho Elvira.
“In all honesty, I felt a little rushed out there for the last 12 holes,” McIlroy toldreporters,externalafter his round.
“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 tournament’s headline player, McIlroy’s group attracted huge galleries and several camera crews, which the Northern Irishman feels officials should take into account when it comes to pace to play.
“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,” added the Masters champion.
“So it’s understandable that we lose time and I feel like any time I either come back to Europe or I play in some of these like one, two, three in the world type groups, we’re always put on the clock for that reason.
“I got a little frustrated the last few holes because I feel like it always happens and I don’t think they use sort of common sense in terms of…well of course we’re going to lose ground because we’re going to have to wait on crowds and wait on the two camera crews that are out there.
“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 McIlroy’s group – which started on the 10th hole – was not helped by the struggles of Lawrence (81) and Reitan (77), who both hit their ball into the water on the seventh hole.
“In my mind I’m like ‘should I go first to save a bit of time’ but not really, you can still wait your turn.
“It wasn’t really that, I guess it was more I just felt because it’s happened to me quite a lot before in these sorts of big groups who want to come back to Europe and play, I felt like I just let it agitate me a little bit.”
Having finished the PGA Tour season in low-key fashion with ties for 12th and 23rd in his past two events, McIlroy said he was planning to use the next couple of weeks to fine-tune his game at the K Club and Wentworth before the Ryder Cup.
He mixed five birdies and four bogeys in an up-and-down round. However, despite missing birdie putts on his 15th and 18th holes either side of back-to-back bogeys, he was content with his day’s efforts.
“Ball-striking wise, I thought I was pretty good today,” said McIlroy, whose sole Irish Open title came at the K Club in 2016.
“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 favourite Shane Lowry carded three birdies in his last six holes to stay in touch at three under, while five-time major winner Brooks Koepka matched McIlroy’s 71.
Like McIlroy, former Open champion Lowry is hoping to play his way into form for the Ryder Cup, with his last top-10 finish having come at the Truist Championship in May.
Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald was among the players in afternoon action at the K Club.
England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who is part of Donald’s team, Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin and former Masters winner Patrick Reed also teed off at lunchtime.
Defending champion Rasmus Hojgaard, who held off McIlroy in a dramatic finish at Royal County Down last year, is not competing after withdrawing this week.
