Rory McIlroy shoots 68 at Irish Open, trails Todd Clements by 2

NEWCASTLE, Northern Eire — Rory McIlroy birdied his remaining three holes to shoot 3-under 68 and sit two strokes off the first-round lead on the Irish Open on Thursday.

No. 3-ranked McIlroy is making an attempt to win his dwelling match for the second time — eight years after the primary — and is taking part in at Royal County Down Golf Membership, a course that may be a brief drive from his childhood dwelling of Holywood and the place he used to play along with his associates.

“It is a main championship-caliber golf course,” McIlroy mentioned. “It is simply unlucky that we do not have the infrastructure across the golf course to host one thing like an Open as a result of if we did, it undoubtedly would have the ability to host an Open Championship.”

Powerful winds and a few rain made for troublesome situations on a well-respected course in Northern Eire, and No. 291-ranked Todd Clements of England handled it the most effective, making 5 birdies and a 15-footer for eagle on the 18th — his ninth gap — for a 66 and the clubhouse lead.

“I mentioned to my caddie strolling off, ‘That is probably the greatest rounds I’ve performed in my life,'” Clements mentioned. “It is a onerous course and, yeah, delighted the way it panned out.”

Sami Välimäki of Finland and Alejandro Del Rey of Spain have been in a tie for second after 67s. McIlroy was in a gaggle an extra stroke again — however solely after a robust end, simply as his spherical seemed like derailing after bogeys at Nos. 14 and 15 dropped him to stage par.

A faucet-in for birdie on the drivable sixteenth was adopted by a 12-footer for birdie on the seventeenth. He reached the inexperienced in two on the par-15 18th and two-putted from 50 toes for 3 in a row.

“I felt like I managed my ball flight effectively,” McIlroy mentioned. “I have been working slightly bit on my swing these final couple of weeks. I’ve in all probability struggled rather a lot in left-to-right winds this yr, so to kind of management my ball flight a bit and check it out there as we speak was good to see that, you already know, I used to be capable of do it after I wanted to.”

McIlroy, who overtly admits to struggling when taking part in in entrance of expectant dwelling crowds, is again in Europe after the top of the PGA Tour season. So is Robert MacIntyre, the No. 16-ranked Scot who’s trying to grow to be the primary participant ever to win the Scottish and Irish Opens in the identical season.

MacIntyre opened with an even-par 71 whereas fellow Ryder Cup gamers Shane Lowry and Nicolai Højgaard each shot 72.