Rory McIlroy shot a disappointing seven-over-par 78 at Royal Troon during the first round of the 152nd Open Championship as participants were greeted by wet and windy weather.
All eyes were on McIlroy following his heartbreaking collapse in the US Open at Pinehurst, where short missed putts on the 16th and 18th put paid to his chances of breaking an almost-ten-year Major drought.
Given the emotional toll that must have taken – and after looking at the Open weather forecast for the week – I couldn’t believe he was second favourite to land the Claret Jug.
But numerous fans and many analysts felt he had a good chance of bouncing straight back, citing his good form and the fact he won the very next Major (US Open) after his back-nine horror show at the 2011 Masters.
His talent, skill and list of career achievements are undeniable, but one thing he’s struggled to do throughout the course of his professional journey is dig in and stay afloat when the course and conditions are extremely difficult.
Think back to the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews. He opened with a sublime 63 in round on when the conditions were favourable, but followed that with a Friday 80 when the inclement weather arrived. You wouldn’t describe McIlroy as a grinder.
His Major record backs that up. He’s won four titles in his illustrious career – the 2011 US Open, the 2012 PGA Championship, the 2014 Open and the 2014 PGA Championship – and all of those were with scores of 13-under-par or better. Two were -16 and one was -17.
Interestingly, he hasn’t triumphed in a Major with a single-digit under-par winning score. The conclusion? He finds it difficult in events where the course and conditions are challenging.
His Major record replicates his career as a whole. McIlroy has 40 professional victories and none of those have been with a single-digit under-par winning score. The vast majority have been won with scores of 15-under-par or better.
McIlroy is a free-flowing, aggressive golfer and he’s at his best when he’s taking shots on, knocking down flags and unleashing drivers off the tee. He sometimes struggles with the pragmatic, patient approach required on very difficult courses or when conditions turn nasty.
To give himself the best chance of future Major Championship success, it’s a part of his game he really needs to develop and improve.
Another thing to note is that during the course of his four Major wins to date, he’s only shot one over-par round – 15 of the 16 other rounds were under-par.
Sadly, all signs point to McIlroy’s Major drought extending into another year.
