SOUTHPORT, England – Rory McIlroy is the reigning FedExCup champ and owner of four major titles, but even he needs to be reminded of what he is capable of, especially after missing consecutive cuts. At his best, he can intimidate others by hitting tee shots where few can. His confidence was low, however, as he started the 146th Open Championship on Thursday. “I was nervous going out. I was a little anxious, timid,â€� he admitted. A tough start at Royal Birkdale didn’t help matters. He made bogey on four of his first five holes, which led caddie J.P. Fitzgerald to intervene. “You’re Rory McIlroy. What are you doing?â€� Fitzgerald implored his boss, according to McIlroy. McIlroy made another bogey at the sixth hole to fall to 5 over, but that was his last one of the day. Four back-nine birdies allowed McIlroy to salvage a 1-over 71. This has been a scattered season for McIlroy. Some distractions have been good, like his recent wedding. But there’s also been two injury-induced hiatuses, and equipment uncertainty that was finally resolved by his signing with TaylorMade in May. McIlroy missed the cut at the last major, the U.S. Open, before finishing T13 at the Travelers Championship, where he played putter roulette as his struggles on the greens reached a tipping point. He then missed the cut at the Irish Open, which he hosts, and last week’s Scottish Open. McIlroy’s turnaround was spurred by Fitzgerald’s pep talk and a decision to trust the swing he’d been practicing on the range. “I sort of felt I was caught in between (swings) on the first six holes,â€� he said. “I found a little swing thought or a little trigger that I think is going to help.â€� McIlroy, No. 75 in the FedExCup, can also draw inspiration from a victory that led to last season’s FedExCup triumph. “I was 4 over through three holes last year in Boston and won that tournament, so I’ve done it before,â€� he said, referring to his victory in last season’s Dell Technologies Championship. He shot a final-round 65 to win at TPC Boston on Labor Day, then won the TOUR Championship later that month to add the FedExCup to his major-laden resume. His hopes for a rally this week began with his first birdie of the day at the par-4 11th. He also birdied three of his final four holes, punctuating his comeback with a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole. He’s six shots behind co-leaders Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar. McIlroy wasn’t the only big name to shoot 71. FedExCup leader Dustin Johnson, Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose and FedExCup No. 6 Rickie Fowler also were 1 over par. McIlroy sits in 58th place after the first round, one shot inside the cut line. He’s trying to avoid a third missed cut in his past four majors, and missing consecutive major cuts for just the second time in his career (2010 Masters, U.S. Open). He isn’t thinking about the cut line, though. With tomorrow’s difficult afternoon forecast as an aid to his efforts, McIlroy is hoping he can begin his move up the leaderboard at 9:47 a.m. local time Friday. “With the weather we’re expecting tomorrow, I still feel I’m in the golf tournament,â€� he said. “If I can go out and play a good quality round of golf in the morning and try to get in the clubhouse somewhere around even par, under par, I’ll still be around for the weekend.â€�
Click here to read the full article…
