Rory McIlroy stated that his inability to handle the windy conditions during the initial two rounds at Royal Troon was the reason for his premature withdrawal from this year’s Open Championship.
On Thursday, McIlroy faced challenges, recording a first-round score of 78 at the Scottish links course, which left him in a difficult position to make the cut.
His aspirations to compete over the weekend were nearly dashed when he incurred six strokes over a four-hole stretch from the third to the sixth on Friday, ultimately finishing with a 75 and concluding at 11 over.
His disastrous start included a triple-bogey eight at the fourth hole as high winds battered the south Ayrshire course.
“I didn’t adapt well at all on Thursday to the left-right wind on the back nine, and this afternoon [Friday] with the gusty winds at the front, I struggled and felt quite uncomfortable with some shots,” McIlroy remarked.
“That four-hole stretch at the beginning really hurt me. I started off terribly, being six over through six, but I played the last 12 holes quite well, without any bogeys.”
Along with the three-shot loss at the fourth, McIlroy’s disastrous opening also featured bogeys at the third, fifth, and sixth holes.
Once the wind’s intensity began to decrease, the four-time major champion recorded a set of pars and made birdies at the 14th and 16th on the back nine.
“As the wind lessened and became more manageable, I started to perform better and hit some solid shots. I played the last 12 in a couple under par and felt much more at ease with my swings.
“When the wind is that strong and you haven’t experienced conditions like that for a while, it can be difficult to adjust.
“I’ll reflect on the two majors this year where I didn’t perform my best, both here and at the Masters. The winds got the better of me on Friday at Augusta and again over the last two days here.”
