Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy hit a perfect tee shot Thursday that came to halt after clanking off a stone. Here's why it was in the middle of the fairway.

If you’re standing on the side of the ‘G’, you’re standing on the side of the original golf course. Even though it zapped his drive some yardage, he found the fairway and was able to get up and down up by the 5th green for a birdie. Local caddies will tell you about a practice round of Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson during the 2010 Open, in which all three players hit the stone in the 5th fairway on consecutive swings. It clanked off a dark green thing in the middle of the fairway. They marked the edge of the original property of the course. The green thing is merely a plastic lid covered in the type of artificial turf that you see on indoor putting greens and practice ranges.

Thomas Bjorn says the man from Northern Ireland inspires the field as he goes for glory at St Andrew's.

In the professional game, we tend to think of it just for The Open. That’s what we should remember at the 150th Open.” Just take it in and realise how privileged you are to be in this position. It allowed me to become the player I did and so many others, too. As a kid, the R&A were behind so many things. Bjorn is here working for TV and said: “As a player, you determine your favourite events. You shouldn’t be running around thinking: Oh this is St Andrews and losing your focus, but you can have your moments. “Even the other players get excited and we don’t really get excited about much! You couldn’t say what the exact reason is why he has that magnetism and generates those feelings, but he does.” The Dane believes even McIlroy’s rivals are inspired when he’s on it as he brings a vibrancy and spark. Bjorn said: “I think he understands that an Open championship at St Andrews is just unique. Bjorn believes Rory can be the story with time running out for the Northern Irishman to achieve the Holy Grail of lifting a Claret Jug at St Andrews.

American Cameron Young led the way amid predicted low scoring on the first day of the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews but favourite Rory McIlroy was ...

Ever the showman Poulter milked the applause, standing with his hand up to his forehead peering into the distance in the direction of where his ball had disappeared into the hole. LIV Golf rebel Ian Poulter turned jeers into cheers as, having been booed by some fans on the first tee for his involvement in the Saudi-backed breakaway series, he was playing to the galleries by the par-four ninth hole when he holed a massive 160-foot putt for the tournament’s first eagle. He then reeled off three successive birdies from the fifth, where he picked up a shot despite his drive losing some yardage after hitting a stone marker in the middle of the fairway which designates the original boundary of the course.

Rory McIlroy may well be counting his blessings during his opening round at The Open after escaping an unfortunate situation from his tee shot on the ...

Fortunately for McIlroy, his ball only ricocheted off the top of the ancient stone and still ended up in the fairway. Hole five is the first of the par fives on the Old Course and avoiding trouble off the tee presents a good scoring opportunity. McIlroy got his Open Championship underway in the morning, playing alongside defending champion Collin Morikawa and the in-form Xander Schauffele.

A PGA Tour employee suffered a fractured hand after taking a hit off an errant drive from Rory McIlroy.

I did not heed the warning," Kane wrote. PGA Tour social media employee Charlie Kane posted some aftermath photos of his hand that took a direct hit from McIlroy's drive. "Fractured hand after Rory McIlroy’s drive landed on my knuckle.

Rory McIlroy fractured a fans had after his errant tee-shot hit the spectators left hand on day one of The Open Championship at St Andrews.

One of his few wild tee shots proved to be quite costly for Charlie Kane, who suffered a fractured hand after a McIlroy bomb collided with Kane's knuckle. Charlie returned to St Andrews a little later on in the day and at least appeared to be in good spirits after suffering his unfortunate injury. Rory McIlroy fractured a fans had after his errant tee-shot hit the spectators left hand on day one of The Open Championship at St Andrews.

Rory McIlroy continued to eradicate his first-round hoodoo in majors after making a strong start to his bid for a fifth major title at The 150th Open.

"I think we worked our way around the golf course really well," Young said. That's really all I can control." It might change how I feel on the first tee a little bit tomorrow, but I'll forget about it very quickly. Tomorrow's an important run, just to go out and back up what I've done today." "I was maybe trying to be a little bit too cute with the second shot on 13, but apart from that, missed it in the right areas, areas where you can get it up-and-down from. "I think that's important to do.

Rory McIlroy put in an impressive performance on day one of The Open Championship, but one wayward shot left a PGA Tour official needing a trip to St ...

Asked whether his day one 66 was ‘boring’ enough for him, he responded with a laugh : “Yeah, I will take it boring all day if that is what boring is. But the last three majors, the PGA, the US Open and now here I have got off to a really nice start. I have obviously come in here playing some nice golf, and it was great to get off to a good start.

In the first round of the 2010 Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews, McIlroy shot 9-under 63, matching the lowest score ever in a single round at ...

Now, he has a chance to let his game do the rest of the talking. McIlroy was the defending Open champion the last time the tournament was played at St. Andrews in 2015. He was eighth at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills after shooting 65 in the first round; he shot 67 in the opening round and tied for fifth at the U.S. Open. It's one of the highest achievements that you can have in golf." At the U.S. Open in June, McIlroy said he was taking a hard line against LIV Golf because "it's the right thing to do." "I don't know if a golfer's career isn't complete if you don't, but I think it's the holy grail of our sport," McIlroy said. He has been able to block out the noise when it mattered most. He finished second at the Masters and shot 8-under 64 in the final round. "I believe that my best days are still ahead of me, and I think theirs are too," McIlroy said before the U.S. Open. "So that's where it feels like you're taking the easy way out. McIlroy, 33, has won twice on tour -- the CJ Cup at Summit in October and the RBC Canadian Open in June -- to climb to No. 2 in the world. While McIlroy seemed to understand why aging players, including his friends and former Ryder Cup teammates Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood, left the tour to accept multimillion-dollar signing bonuses from LIV Golf, he has been more critical of younger players who have jumped. McIlroy shot 8-over 80 in windy conditions the next day and ultimately tied for third, but those remarkable opening 18 holes were the beginning of his stardom.

Rory McIlroy has not lifted one of golf's big four trophies since hoisting the Claret Jug back in 2014 - but shot a first-round 66 to put himself in early ...

“And I think I've played with a little more freedom because I can, because I'm in more control of my swing and my game. Everything feels just sort of nice and quiet, which is a nice way to be. "And as I said, three majors in a row now where I feel like that, which is a really nice feeling considering how I have felt previously at times. Tomorrow's an important run, just to go out and back up what I've done today.” Everything feels like it's in good shape. But again, this golf course isn't going to change that much, I don't think, between today and tomorrow in terms of conditions.

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Tomorrow's an important one, just to go out and back up what I've done today.” “I think that's important to do. And didn't really put myself out of position too much.”

RORY MCILROY is one of the richest golf players in the world, and has a gorgeous home in one of Florida's most happy golf regions, Jupiter.

The Northern Irish golfer has made America his home in recent years alongside wife Erica and daughter Poppy. After purchasing several properties in America, Rory moved into the golfing capital of the world, Jupiter. In 2017, the golf player’s Nike contract was extended for 10 years, said to be worth £8million a year. He moved into the home with Erica a few short months after their wedding in Ireland. He bought a mansion worth £8.6million in The Bear’s Club, a golf development which was founded by Jack Nicklaus in 1999. Rory Mcllroy is aiming to win The Open for the second time in his career after lifting the Claret Jug in 2014. RORY MCILROY is one of the richest golf players in the world, and has a gorgeous home in one of Florida's most happy golf regions, Jupiter. What's it like inside?

For the third consecutive major this summer, the Ulsterman opened with a low round. But so far at St. Andrews, plenty of players are attacking par.

With just one round in the books, McIlroy will need to continue his good play with scoring extremely low. With one win in 2022 at the RBC Canadian Open, his record has been impressive since finishing second at the Masters after a final-round 64. “I only had 85 yards to the front of the green on 17, and I knew 4 was going to be a good score,” McIlroy said. “I came in here playing well, and I've played this golf course well over the years,” McIlroy said. “I birdied the holes that are birdie-able,” McIlroy said. “And I made pars at the holes where you're sort of looking to make a par and move to the next tee.

The four-time major winner lies just two shots off clubhouse leader Cameron Young at St Andrews.

I think that’s important to do,” he said. That’s really my first memory of here.” I did everything that you’re supposed to do around St Andrews. “Yeah, fantastic start,” McIlroy said. McIlroy is well aware that he has failed to turn those good starts into overdue wins, a third round of 74 doing the damage in the US PGA and a 73 at the same stage of the US Open proving equally costly. An opening 73 in April’s Masters meant McIlroy had been a combined 35 over par in the first round of majors since last winning one in the 2014 US PGA, but since then he has started with a 65 in the US PGA, a 67 in the US Open and Thursday’s 66.

Rory McIlroy was deeply impressive in his sixth ever Open round at St Andrews. Is he the winner the establishment craves, asks Tom English?

There's a lot of criss-crossing and waiting on greens to clear because of the drivable par fours. Another day of brilliance on Friday and the McIlroy supporters will be calling for smelling salts. McIlroy is one of the most analysed golfers in recent history because he's one of the most interesting and most talented we have ever seen. McIlroy spoke of the delays out there, the game within a game. Since last tasting victory on the biggest stages, McIlroy has finished top 10 in majors on 16 occasions and top five eight times. Twenty-three different golfers have won a major since McIlroy won the US PGA Championship in 2014, the fourth of his haul. I wasn't really that comfortable with the second putt, but I stepped up there, committed to it. Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and others would be wholly acceptable, but McIlroy is the next best thing behind Woods. He's the kind of class act and clean-cut ambassador they want to see with that Claret Jug. And he can win. Those same officials might be saying quiet novenas that it's not one of the others hovering in the rarefied air of top-10 status after the opening round - the dreaded LIV set. "It might have looked easy, but there's certain parts of the round that are challenging. He nailed battleship putts - a 55-footer on the first for birdie. In 2010, he went 63, 80, 69, 68 and now there's a sumptuous, almost leisurely, six-under 66 to throw into the mix.