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Putting woes leave McIlroy well off Open pace
- On Thursday, July 16, 2026, Rory McIlroy carded a 2-over 72 at Royal Birkdale during the first round of The Open, leaving him seven shots behind leader Jackson Suber.
- Putting difficulties plagued McIlroy throughout the afternoon, as he ranked 104th in putting statistics after missing three putts from inside four feet on greens he described as "very inconsistent."
- At the par-five 17th, McIlroy contorted his stance to splash out of a bunker only to miss the putt; he salvaged ground with a brilliant approach from 198 yards to five feet on the 18th.
- Facing an uphill battle, McIlroy's seven-shot deficit is historically daunting; the previous 26 Open champions were positioned within five shots of the lead after round one.
- Hoping for more benign conditions on Friday, McIlroy plans to focus on the positives from his opening round, aiming to "shoot a good one" and recover for the weekend.
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'Made Too Many Sloppy Mistakes': Rory McIlroy Left Frustrated After Open Championship Round 1
Rory McIlroy‘s driving was elite at The Open 2026: 43 yards above the field average. However, his putting was a disaster, costing him 2.73 strokes. That’s why he’s two-over after Round 1 at Royal Birkdale. McIlroy expressed frustration about his round at the post-round press conference. “I felt like I learned quite a bit today about how the course is playing, how the ball is reacting out of the first cut of rough. Definitely, when it gets that b…
·Lewes, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources30
Leaning Left9Leaning Right6Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution48% Center
Bias Distribution
- 48% of the sources are Center
48% Center
L 31%
C 48%
R 21%
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