Rory McIlroy opened his Australian Open marketing campaign with a wild first spherical, signing for a one-over 72 that someway included six bogeys and 5 birdies.
Beginning with a birdie on the tenth alongside Aussie stars Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee, McIlroy instantly discovered hassle with back-to-back bogeys, solely to reply with birdies at 14 and 15 to stabilise the cardboard. However the turbulence on a blustery day by no means actually stopped, as one other slight misinterpret on 16 led to a different dropped shot, earlier than he turned with a good 37.
The entrance 9 was extra of the identical chaos. A bogey on the 1st was immediately countered by back-to-back birdie putts to tug him again to even, just for the 4th gap to chew with one more bogey.
McIlroy lastly discovered some calm, carding 4 pars in his ultimate 5 holes, with solely a disappointing bogey on the par-3 seventh breaking the run.
This yr’s Masters champion famous the problem in navigating powerful winds that have been surging above 40km/h in Melbourne.
“It is difficult, very difficult. The greens are getting agency,” the 36-year-old North Irishman mentioned. “It was an excellent factor they did not minimize them at this time as a result of it might have been unplayable.
“I felt like I might have shot below par or one thing within the 60s but it surely does not seem like anybody goes to get too far-off at this time.
“I restricted the injury and hopefully the circumstances are a bit higher over the following few days and I could make a run.”
McIlroy mentioned he might really feel himself struggling on the greens, admitting he struggled by means of the early a part of his day.
“I must putt higher,” he mentioned. “Holed some good ones. I feel I used to be higher from outdoors 25 toes than I used to be from inside 5, so (I must) work on that a bit bit.
“I made sufficient birdies, however I simply must restrict the errors a bit bit. It was good to get one spherical carried out and never really feel like I am too far again.”
Returning to Australia for the primary time in additional than a decade after successful this occasion in 2013, McIlroy mentioned he was struck by the reception he obtained.
“It was nice, a beautiful ambiance, and taking part in with Adam (Scott) and Min Woo (Lee) it was unbelievable,” he mentioned.
“Simply actually cool to see how many individuals have been lining the fairways and framing the greens.
“The welcome has been so heat, it has been a pleasure to be right here and hopefully I can play a bit higher over the following three days and provides them a bit extra to cheer about.”
Elvis Smylie shares the lead with New Zealander Ryan Fox, who surged late within the afternoon to affix him on the prime with a spherical of 65.
Atone for how the primary day unfolded beneath:
