Rory McIlroy, the world No. 2 golfer, had a disappointing first round at the British Open, shooting 2-over 72. McIlroy, who is playing a reduced schedule in 2026, struggled with his putting, ranking 148th in the 156-man field.
Putting Woes
McIlroy’s putting woes were evident as he missed several close-range putts, including three in a span of four holes. Despite driving the green to make birdie on the 415-yard No. 9, McIlroy’s inconsistent putting led to six bogeys and left him seven shots off the first-round lead.
McIlroy, who has won the British Open before, in 2014, expressed frustration with his putting, saying, “Just too many stupid mistakes… I missed a couple early on that looked like they were going to break one way and they actually went another way, and then when you get the next one, you’re over it and it’s just very hard to trust that the ball is going to do what you think it’s going to do.”
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
