SOUTHPORT, England – Rory McIlroy, considered a strong contender for this week’s British Open at Royal Birkdale, looked a bit off during the opening round on Thursday.
He finished with a score of 72, putting him 2 over par, despite having hit 18 birdies. That left him trailing the leader, Jackson Suber, by seven strokes.
“Let’s focus on the bright side. My driving was really strong,” McIlroy noted. He went on to say he felt he should have scored better given his performance off the tee.
However, he bogeyed both par 5s and had some trouble with his putting. “I made too many silly mistakes. Thankfully, whenever I messed up, I managed to get a birdie back and hold my position. I’m not too far off. I just need to go out there, get some good shots, and position myself better for the weekend,” he added.
Meanwhile, James Nicholas, hailing from Scarsdale, recorded a 5-over 75 in his first round and went to bed hoping for a better second round on Friday. He’s been dealing with bone bruises on the soles of both feet after an incident involving a fence at a recent tournament in Spain.
He mentioned that if the pain doesn’t ease up, he may have to withdraw. Skipping his practice round on Wednesday to rest, he is scheduled to tee off at 11:41 a.m. local time on Friday, which is later than his Thursday start.
Despite the pain, he expressed hope he could still play. Nicholas felt disappointed with his performance, believing the course offered good opportunities for scoring.
“I’m a bit frustrated because I’ve been playing well, but it’s not showing on the scorecard. The conditions are really good for scoring,” he said, as he finds himself eight strokes behind the leader. He’ll need to play much better on Friday to have a shot at the weekend.
Participating alongside Nicholas was Matt Baldwin, a member of Birkdale College, who had the honor of hitting the very first shot in last month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock. “It was an incredible feeling. Scary, overwhelming,” Baldwin shared. “But it’s a memory I’ll cherish for life.”
In a video interview with the R&A, Bryson DeChambeau expressed excitement about playing alongside Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player and defending champion this week. “Playing with Scottie was a delight. I’ve always wanted to see how well he strikes the ball,” he remarked, noting the beauty of his shots. “It reminds me that I need to work on my driving and 3-wood. Even if I can hit further, I still need to be straighter.”
DeChambeau shot a 67 compared to Scheffler’s 68, calling the experience a useful benchmark for his game. “It shows me where I stand and highlights Scottie’s skill. It’s one thing to watch on TV but another to witness it in person.”
Among the interesting conversations this week was an exchange with Australia’s Travis Smith regarding his practice round with Scheffler. “I had a blast playing with Scottie for the first time yesterday. His iron accuracy was impressive,” Smith said. “It was great watching him. He’s a down-to-earth guy, which I appreciate. He’s not full of himself, and that makes it refreshing.”
