Rory McIlroy fought through a day of gusty, demanding conditions at the Amgen Irish Open and emerged four strokes behind the clubhouse leader after posting a one‑under‑par 71 in the opening round. Ireland’s own Shane Lowry, who is a mere two strokes off the top spot, also kept his name on the leaderboard.
The wind on Thursday was relentless, with gusts reaching up to 35 mph. The force of the breeze caused putts to roll erratically on the greens – a vivid example being Frenchman Frédéric Lacroix, whose ball was literally blown off the putting surface on the 13th hole. Fortunately for Lacroix, he had already marked his ball, allowing him to replace it without penalty.
Such conditions contributed to a generally slow pace of play at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg, where the field struggled to find rhythm. Amid the chaos, Chilean star Joaquin Niemann produced a spectacular round of 65 – a course‑record that seemed increasingly likely as the day progressed. Niemann reached the turn at two under and then rattled off four consecutive birdies from the 14th through the 17th, putting himself in contention for the $30,000 (£22,000) bonus awarded for the lowest round of the tournament. Austrian Maximilian Steinlechner and Italy’s Renato Paratore also looked poised to challenge for the top of the leaderboard, standing at three under after 12 and 11 holes respectively.
Their chances, however, could be hampered by the fading daylight as the day wore on. Home‑grown favorite Shane Lowry, who famously won the Irish Open as a 22‑year‑old amateur in Baltray, remained in the mix, also sitting at three under in the clubhouse.
Long waits at many tee boxes were a common theme throughout the round, but McIlroy, the defending champion from his 2023 victory at the K Club, managed to start strongly. He recorded two birdies within his first four holes and reached the turn at two under 34, completing his round in just three and a half hours – a respectable pace given the conditions. After missing a short four‑foot birdie putt on the first hole, McIlroy bounced back by holing a 14‑footer on the second. He then escaped a bunker on the fourth hole, leaving himself a three‑foot putt for birdie, which he converted for his second birdie of the round.
A missed 10‑footer on the seventh prevented a third birdie, but his early momentum kept him in contention. Trouble returned on the 13th when McIlroy’s ball found a fairway bunker, and a missed 10‑foot putt resulted in a double‑bogey.
He quickly recovered with a well‑executed approach on the 15th that trimmed the damage by a stroke. The world No. 2, however, was unable to generate many scoring opportunities during the closing stretch, narrowly missing a long birdie chance on the 18th. He will head into Friday’s round hoping for better weather and a chance to climb the leaderboard.
"There were a couple of things that were tough today. Obviously the wind and the strength of the wind was one thing, and then the pace of play," McIlroy said after his round.
"This course isn’t conducive to sort of letting you get in a flow. Especially the first two days with so many people in the field, there is a lot of stopping and starting." He added, "It’s hard when you are playing a round of golf and it takes six hours, it’s hard to get into the rhythm of things, but I felt like I did a good job.
After making the double bogey on 13, I was just trying to get those two shots back by the end of the day. Didn’t quite do that, but finishing under par for the day was a reasonable effort. I hung in there, shot under par, and at least don’t feel like I’m out of the tournament. A good day tomorrow gets me right back in it." Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin, paired with European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and Alex Fitzpatrick, finished the day at two under after a bogey on the final hole.
McIlroy’s playing partner, fellow Ryder Cup teammate Robert MacIntyre, posted a two‑over 73, having made a spectacular 37‑foot birdie putt on the 17th but then finding deep rough off the tee on the 18th and taking a six. Brooks Koepka, who received a special invitation to the event, endured a difficult round that began with a disastrous seven on the first hole and concluded at five over par. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm – whose future on the PGA Tour remains in question amid ongoing LIV Golf uncertainties – carded an even‑par round.
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