Rory McIlroy fought through a day of gusty, demanding conditions at the Amgen Irish Open, finishing his opening round one under par and finding himself four strokes behind the leader who posted his score from the clubhouse. Ireland’s own Shane Lowry, who is two shots off the top spot, also posted a respectable three‑under total, keeping the home crowd hopeful.
The wind on Thursday was relentless, with gusts reaching as high as 35 miles per hour. The force of the breeze caused balls to bounce and roll across the greens, creating a chaotic putting surface. French competitor Frédéric Lacroix experienced this first‑hand when his ball was blown off the green at the 13th hole. Fortunately, he had already marked his ball, allowing him to replace it without penalty.
Such conditions made progress slow for the entire field at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg. Amid the swirling air, Chilean star Joaquin Niemann produced a spectacular round of 65, setting a new course record. After reaching the turn at two under, Niemann unleashed a streak of four consecutive birdies from the 14th through the 17th holes, putting him in contention for the tournament’s $30,000 (approximately £22,000) bonus awarded for the lowest round of the week. Austrian Maximilian Steinlechner and Italy’s Renato Paratore also displayed strong play, both moving into the top tier of the leaderboard with scores of three under after 12 and 11 holes respectively.
Their momentum, however, risked being halted by the fading daylight as the day wore on. Shane Lowry, a former champion of the Irish Open who captured the title as a 22‑year‑old amateur in Baltray, remained firmly in the mix, also posting a three‑under total from the clubhouse. The local favorite’s steady performance added extra intrigue for Irish fans. Long waits on many tee boxes were a common theme throughout the round, a factor that can disrupt a player’s rhythm.
McIlroy, who claimed the Irish Open title at the K Club last year, managed to start his round positively, carding two birdies within his first four holes. He reached the turn at two under after 34 holes, completing his front nine in just three and a half hours. His early birdies came after a missed four‑foot birdie putt on the first hole, followed by a confident 14‑footer on the second.
At the par‑five fourth, he escaped a bunker and sank a three‑foot putt for his second birdie of the round. A missed 10‑foot putt on the seventh prevented a third birdie, but he continued to fight.
The wind proved especially punitive on the 13th hole, where McIlroy’s ball found a fairway bunker. A subsequent missed 10‑foot putt resulted in a double‑bogey, temporarily widening the gap between him and the leaders. Nevertheless, a well‑executed approach on the 15th allowed him to claw back a stroke quickly. As the round drew to a close, the world No.
2 found opportunities limited. He narrowly missed a long birdie attempt on the 18th, ending the day with a one‑under round. McIlroy expressed optimism about the upcoming Friday round, hoping that both his game and the weather would improve. "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 continued, "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." Other notable performances included Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin, who played alongside European team captain Luke Donald and Alex Fitzpatrick, finishing at two under after a bogey on the final hole.
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammate Robert MacIntyre posted a two‑over round, his day marred by a poor tee shot on the 18th that landed in deep rough, resulting in a six. Brooks Koepka, who received a special invitation to the event, endured a challenging day, beginning with a disastrous seven on the first hole and ultimately finishing five over par.
Meanwhile, Jon Rahm, whose future on the PGA Tour remains a topic of discussion amid uncertainty surrounding LIV Golf, recorded an even‑par round. Fans can catch the next day’s action on Sky Sports+, with live coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m.
for the morning session and a second broadcast at 5 p.m. for the afternoon. Those interested in playing the courses featured in the tournament can search for rates and availability across more than 1,700 courses throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.