Rory McIlroy fought through a day of punishing, wind‑laden weather 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, a former champion of the tournament, sat just two shots off the top of the leaderboard, keeping the competition tight and the atmosphere electric.
The wind on Thursday was relentless, gusting up to 35 mph at times, and it turned the normally fast greens at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg into a veritable seesaw. Frenchman Frédéric Lacroix experienced the full force of the breeze when his ball was literally blown off the putting surface on the 13th hole. Fortunately, he had already marked his ball and was able to replace it, but the incident highlighted how the conditions were testing every player’s skill and patience. Such ferocious gusts slowed the pace of play considerably.
Players found themselves waiting longer on tee boxes as the tournament officials tried to keep the field moving safely. Despite the delays, a spectacular round emerged from Chile’s Joaquín Niemann, who posted a course‑record 65. Niemann’s round was a masterclass in seizing momentum: after reaching the turn at two under, he recorded four consecutive birdies from holes 14 through 17, putting himself in contention for the $30,000 (approximately £22,000) bonus awarded for the lowest round of the week. Other contenders also showed promise early on.
Austrian Maximilian Steinlechner and Italy’s Renato Paratore were both positioned near the top of the leaderboard after 12 and 11 holes respectively, each sitting at three under par. Their chances, however, were threatened by the fading daylight, which forced the tournament to suspend play for several groups.
Shane Lowry, a home favourite who famously captured the Irish Open title as a 22‑year‑old amateur at Baltray in 2010, kept his hopes alive by also posting a three‑under‑par total, joining the clubhouse leaders and reminding everyone why he remains a crowd‑pleaser on Irish soil. McIlroy’s round was a study in resilience.
The world number two, who had won the Irish Open the previous year at the K Club, began his day with two birdies in his first four holes, quickly moving to a two‑under‑par 34 at the turn. He completed his round in three and a half hours, a respectable pace given the conditions. After missing a short four‑foot birdie putt on the first hole, he rebounded by holing a 14‑footer on the second. A spectacular bunker shot on the fourth hole left him three feet from the pin, resulting in his second birdie of the round.
He then missed a 10‑foot putt on the seventh, which would have been his third birdie. The 13th hole proved costly. McIlroy’s tee shot landed in a fairway bunker, and a subsequent missed 10‑foot putt resulted in a double‑bogey.
He managed to claw back a stroke with an excellent approach on the 15th, but the damage was done. In the closing stretch he found few opportunities to make up ground, narrowly missing a long birdie attempt on the final hole.
He left the course with a one‑under‑par score, aware that a better day was needed to climb back into contention. Speaking after his round, McIlroy acknowledged the difficulties he faced: “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,” he said. “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.
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 rising star Alex Fitzpatrick. McKibbin finished two under after a late bogey on the final hole.
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammate Robert MacIntyre posted a two‑over total, his round marred by a poor tee shot on the 18th that sent his ball into deep rough, resulting in a six. Brooks Koepka, who received a special invitation to the event, endured a difficult day, opening with a seven on the first hole and ultimately finishing five over par. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm, whose future on the PGA Tour remains a topic of speculation amid the ongoing LIV Golf controversy, recorded an even‑par round. The tournament will continue on Friday with two live coverage windows: the morning session beginning at 9:30 am on Sky Sports+, and an evening session starting at 5 pm.
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