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.

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 called the 150th Open at St. Andrews the "fiddliest" Open, but he made it look easy Thursday with a 6-under 66.

And my ball’s on the fairway, but it’s in a lie where I don’t feel like I can get the leading edge of a lob wedge underneath the ball to get a good enough strike on it. “But I played the right shot so that if I did miss it, it wasn’t in too bad of a spot but I could then get it up-and-down from. McIlroy made it look easy on Thursday, holing a 55-foot downhill birdie putt at the first and stringing together three birdies in a row beginning at the seventh. And I made pars at the holes where you’re sort of looking to make a par and move to the next tee. It continued a positive trend of fast starts at the majors for McIlroy, who previously had opened 65-67 at the PGA Championship in May and the U.S. Open in June. Yeah, I mean I did everything that you’re supposed to do around St Andrews. I birdied the holes that are birdie-able.

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.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- After Rory McIlroy made par at the 4th hole Thursday en route to his 66 in the first round of the 2022 Open Championship, ...

The patience has a payoff, though, and it could come come Sunday for Rory because there is no greater reward in golf than winning the most consequential Open at the Home of Golf. It's a long week, and McIlroy is laboring to stay in the moment. And three to see if the best player of his generation can resuscitate the green boxes on his major championship Wikipedia page. It's easy to push the future out of your mind when it's way out in the distance. It's much harder when you're three 68s away -- on a golf course you've owned -- from the best win of your career. Waiting, however, might mean they get one of him with the Claret Jug on Sunday instead of him striding home in second place on Thursday. McIlroy hit a mediocre wedge off the thinnest of lies, though, and labored to make 4. At the PGA, he was six strokes worse in Round 2. After six consecutive years of bumpy first-round play, McIlroy has been awesome in three of the first four opening rounds at majors this season. I never got a chance to go to the champions dinner. A commotion stirred behind them as a group of fans yelped about missing out on the only photo they desired: Rory bouncing across the Swilcan Bridge toward whatever the hell the next three days have in store. He hung back with playing partners Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele as a traffic backup more reminiscent of Los Angeles than St. Andrews ensued on the hole ahead.

Rory McIlroy during the first round of the 150th Open Championship in St Andrews, Scotland. Paul Childs/Reuters. CNN —. Rory ...

Looking forward to the next few days." Yet, incredibly, McIlroy's speeding shot was prematurely grounded when it bounced into a stone in the middle of the fairway. "Just what you hope will happen when you're starting off your week. Speaking to reporters after his round, the four-time major champion admitted that while he hadn't noticed the stone's impact on his drive, he had been chatting with his caddie Harry Diamond about the prospect of an unlucky golfer being forced to play a shot from behind one. title, the Northern Irishman made a scintillating start at the Old Course, draining a monster 55-foot putt on the opening hole to spark a roar from the grandstands. Three consecutive pars followed, with the 33-year-old's fine opening looking set to continue with a powerful drive from the fifth tee.

Once again, Rory McIlroy is gotten off to a great start at a major championship. What does it mean for his chances at the Open Championship?

“Everything feels just sort of nice and quiet, which is a nice way to be.” A marshal behind that tee, who has watched champions stroll through for the last four Opens at the Old Course, discussed the pandemonium that could take place if McIlroy were to actually get it done this week. He’s wowed us all over, really, most recently at the Canadian Open in June. He’s even wowed us at major championships this season, at Augusta National in April with a final round that Collin Morikawa called “near flawless” when he was reminded of it Thursday. McIlroy started hot at the PGA Championship a month later, leading after Day 1. And McIlroy even admitted it in the moments that followed, “fiddly hasn’t really been my forte over the years.” The fans who piled into the triple-decker hospitality suite on the 14th were rather reserved Thursday afternoon, milling about, not all dialed in to the golf. ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Rory McIlroy, eloquent man of many words, was struggling to describe this version of the Open Championship. Then he showed off that vocabulary like only he can, settling on “fiddliest.” This is the fiddliest Open he’s ever played. Or, borrowing from Merriam and Webster, neither of which were golfers, this is the Open that has required the most attention to detail. Everything feels like it’s in good shape,” he said. The fairways are more firm than the greens, and the greens are firming up, too. Players and commentators are calling it one of the firmest tournament setups they’ve ever seen. The lies are as tight as he’s ever seen in St. Andrews. He’s wowed the golf world here before, opening with a 63 in 2010, only to implode with 80 strokes in his second round.

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.

Rory McIlroy once again got off to a hot start in a major. Can he sustain it?

You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Click here to find out more about our partners. - Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address

On a cool but relatively calm day on the seaside links, Rory McIlroy looked completely unburdened as he began in earnest – an opening 66 – his pursuit of ...

For more information about cross-device matching, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance. If you opt out of cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, we may still conduct cross-device tracking for other purposes, such as analytics. Information may still be collected and used for other purposes, such as research, online services analytics or internal operations, and to remember your opt-out preferences. Ad Selection and Delivery Cookies: These Cookies are used to collect data about your browsing habits, your use of the Services, your preferences, and your interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of delivering interest-based advertising content on the Services and on third-party sites. Social media platforms have the ability to track your online activity outside of the Services. This may impact the content and messages you see on other services you visit. Connected Devices: For connected devices, such as smart TVs or streaming devices, you should review the device’s settings and select the option that allows you to disable automatic content recognition or ad tracking. Browser Controls: You may be able to disable and manage some Cookies through your browser settings. Flash cookies need to be deleted in the storage section of your Flash Player Settings Manager. Third-party sites and services also use interest-based Advertising Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests on the Services and third-party services. They are also used to recognize you and provide further insights across platforms and devices for the above purposes. You should read the Privacy Policy and this Notice for a full picture of NBCUniversal’s use of your information. Measurement and Analytics: These Cookies collect data regarding your usage of and performance of the Services, apply market research to generate audiences, and measure the delivery and effectiveness of content and advertising. You can set your browser to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.

ST ANDREWS, Scotland — Nothing is for sure, of course. Not in golf. Not in the Open Championship. And certainly not at St. Andrews, a place Rory McIlroy ...

“I just have to go out and play the same golf that I've played today, the same golf that I've played over the last few weeks,” McIlroy said. I need to just go out and play golf and try to shoot some good scores on one of my favorite golf courses in the world.” You're up there leading the Open Championship and you're worried about hitting a lob wedge out-of-bounds because of a bare lie on the fairway. So the challenge for Day 2 is simple. “The two-putt from 60 feet for bogey on 13. The up-and-down for birdie on 14. As golfers have known for centuries now, position is everything on the Old Course and never more so than when the ball is running as far as it is this week. I made pars at the holes where you’re looking to make a par and move to the next tee. That’s all parts of his game, including the little shots and moments that make the difference between so-so and good, good and great. The Old Course is surely the quirkiest of that elite bunch. Which is hardly surprising in the wake of an opening six-under-par 66 that has McIlroy nicely tucked-in behind the early leader, Cameron Young. “I did everything that you're supposed to do around St Andrews. I birdied the holes that are birdieable.

America's Cameron Young took the first-day lead with 64 while Rory McIlroy shot a 66 as Lee Westwood brushed off Tiger Woods' opinion on LIV.

Cameron Smith posted a 67, as did Robert Dinwiddie in the dying embers of play. On his Open debut, the New Yorker rattled off eight birdies for a 64. Scottie Scheffler, the world No 1, retains hope of producing a Masters and St Andrews Open double this year after a 68 in the most testing of the day’s conditions. McIlroy may be uncomfortable with such a position – he excels at professional golf, not politics – and the R&A could never possibly be seen to favour an Open contender, but glory for the Northern Irishman in St Andrews would have broader meaning. The scale of physical discomfort for the 46-year-old was again clear as he slumped to a 78 – six over par. So it might have looked easy, but there’s certain parts of the round that are challenging.” “I have no idea,” said a perplexed Poulter, who had just signed for a 69. He was to win the Open at Hoylake that year. The LIV renegades lurk with intent. “It never feels easy,” said McIlroy. “There’s little parts of the round where it shows you where you’re at with everything mentally and physically. In the red corner: the PGA and DP World Tours. In the blue corner: LIV Golf and its Saudi Arabian-backed disruption plan.

PGA Tour staffer Charlie Kane didn't listen when Rory McIlroy yelled "Fore!"

You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Click here to find out more about our partners. - Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address

It's been eight years since Rory McIlroy claimed victory at The Open. But with the way he's playing so far, another win could be on the way.

It's not like McIlroy has a commanding lead over the rest of the field either. Unfortunately, McIlroy's strong start wasn't enough to give him a top two finish through the first two rounds. But between 2016 and 2018, he was consistently among The Open's best performers, finishing in the top five each time.

A Rory McIlroy drive soared into the crowd and broke the hand of a PGA Tour employee during the first round of the British Open in St. Andrews, Fife, ...

Johnson shot up the leaderboard and into first place early Friday with a 5-under par 67 to move to 9-under par for the tournament. He managed to carve out the low score despite half of his drives landing either outside of the fairway or on the fringe Thursday at St. Andrews. Scheffler carded another 4-under par 68 to move into a tie with Tyrrell Hatton for second place. Kane also posted four photos of his hand, including one from St. Andrews Community Hospital. The photos showed a bruised left palm and swollen middle finger. Cameron Young was the first-round leader at 8-under par. I did not heed the warning."

When you're at a golf course and a golfer yells the word "fore," it's a good idea to get your bearings and duck and cover. PGA Tour staffer Charlie Kane did ...

While the ball wouldn’t be flying at exit velocity by the time it hit Kane’s hand, it was enough for a trip to the hospital. For perspective, the hardest ball hit in the MLB this year was by Giancarlo Stanton at 119.8 mph. It’s usually a good idea to stay alert at any sporting event.

Following McIlroy's opening round at the 2022 Open Championship, several Twitter users began expressing concern for the North Irish golfer. The reason? An ...

The source of the rumor appears to be a YouTube channel impersonating the official Open Championship page. The hoaxer used some of the top keywords associated with the golf event. Or perhaps its creator wanted to capitalize on the tangential similarity as a means of promoting a seemingly more credible video. And given the fact that it was a weekday and the timing of the event, thrown off by the fact that it is taking place in Scotland, the rumor was a perfect storm of confusion. Following McIlroy's opening round at the 2022 Open Championship, several Twitter users began expressing concern for the North Irish golfer. The reason?

Rory McIlroy backed up his excellent first round at the Open Championship, firing four-under 68 on Friday at the Old Course.

“[I] just basically look at the hole and try to see the ball just dropping in the front there,” he said. A second-round 69 kept him in the mix, and he’ll play in the final pairing tomorrow with Cameron Smith, whom he trails by two shots. “You’re going to have to play some good golf over the weekend regardless. And I got off to a quiet start, but then I sort of came to life around the middle of the round.” “I’ve been coming here since 1995, and I don’t know when — I think the next one comes around in what, 2030? “It felt very emotional, just because I just don’t know what my health is going to be like,” Woods said. Tiger Woods didn’t have the week he’d hoped for at the Old Course, but he still got to enjoy a special moment to finish his round. Walking up the 18th fairway, he was showered in applause in a sign of appreciation from the adoring fans. “So sort of just tried to play a little bit more on the front foot and be a little more aggressive. McIlroy went out in a quiet one-under 35, but after the turn, he made his move. On his way to an eight-under 64, Smith holed over 200 feet of putts to hold a two-stroke lead at the halfway mark. The Old Course was receptive on Friday, and those in the morning wave took advantage.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – It was past 8 p.m. as Rory McIlroy made the eastward turn toward St. Andrews' final hole, walking out of the shadows cast by the Old ...

McIlroy said he isn’t concerned with the names who stand atop major leaderboards, even if they are THE PLAYERS champion, a two-time major winner, the world No. 1 or some of the game’s rising stars. Friday’s raucous roars would simply serve as an appetizer for the reception that McIlroy would receive with a win Sunday, following the footsteps of European legends like Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo in crossing the Swilcan Bridge en route to lifting the Claret Jug. Five hours earlier, McIlroy had doffed his cap in a show of respect directed at Tiger Woods as Woods walked down St. Andrews’ finishing hole for what may be the final time. They compete with the knowledge that their accomplishments will be remembered for generations, serving as inspiration and worthy of enshrinement. “It doesn’t matter what name is beside the 13 under.” There’s a bit of hyperbole to that statement. Greatness is McIlroy’s lone concern at this point in his career. Woods calls St. Andrews his favorite course in the world. Three years ago, his countrymen tried to cheer him to the weekend in the Open’s return to Northern Ireland, a tournament whose significance extended far beyond golf. The grandstands couldn’t fit all the interested observers who wanted to see him finish his round. He’d just made an unlikely birdie on the Old Course’s most penal hole, the one that forces players to overcome both a blind tee shot lined with O.B. and an approach shot over a sand-filled pit. McIlroy was in contention this time, though, just three shots off the lead.

McIlroy squared his focus to how to best play his game as he attempts to capture the Claret Jug and break his major drought.

If the Road Hole was a harbinger of what's to come, it's going to be spectacular. Winning any major is substantial, and winning any Open is a triumph, but the 150th Open at St. Andrews -- the one in which Tiger cried coming up No. 18 on Friday? The one major that stands between now and the rest of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf battle that will play out the rest of the year and beyond? The question now is whether McIlroy can walk in Woods' 2000 and 2005 footsteps when he rolled up two Claret Jugs at this course. The picture was a painting. Cam Smith goes out and shoots another two rounds like he did the first two days, I'm going to have a really hard time to win the tournament. "I know I've got the game," McIlroy said on Friday. "That's all I need. And then to follow that up with a 3 ... I felt like I saved a couple of shots there." After a lackluster 35 on the front nine, he ripped off three straight birdies on the back and eyed the pair of Camerons at the top of the Open leaderboard. It wasn't the one-hand-on-the-jug Round 2 some were hoping Rory would deliver, but he maintained the pace necessary to give himself a shot entering the weekend. It would have been nice to follow that up with a 3 at the last as well, but that was big because I didn't want to make two bogeys in a row. A bogey at No. 15 was disappointing, but he rebounded about as well as one can rebound, which leads us back to the 17th hole. ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Rory McIlroy walked to the 17th tee with that triangular hotel looming off in the distance.

The injury occurred on the fifth hole on the Old Course at St Andrews during the first round of the major tournament. Kane tweeted photos of his bruised and ...

Kane tweeted photos of his bruised and swollen hand, along with an ensuing pic of himself all smiles at the course with his arm in a sling. I did not heed the warning." The injury occurred on the fifth hole on the Old Course at St Andrews during the first round of the major tournament.

Following McIlroy's opening round at the 2022 Open Championship, several Twitter users began expressing concern for the North Irish golfer. The reason? An ...

The source of the rumor appears to be a YouTube channel impersonating the official Open Championship page. The hoaxer used some of the top keywords associated with the golf event. Or perhaps its creator wanted to capitalize on the tangential similarity as a means of promoting a seemingly more credible video. And given the fact that it was a weekday and the timing of the event, thrown off by the fact that it is taking place in Scotland, the rumor was a perfect storm of confusion. Following McIlroy's opening round at the 2022 Open Championship, several Twitter users began expressing concern for the North Irish golfer. The reason?

In the 104 major championship rounds since Rory McIlroy last hoisted a Grand Slam keepsake, he's pretty much touched them all.

For more information about cross-device matching, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance. If you opt out of cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, we may still conduct cross-device tracking for other purposes, such as analytics. Information may still be collected and used for other purposes, such as research, online services analytics or internal operations, and to remember your opt-out preferences. Ad Selection and Delivery Cookies: These Cookies are used to collect data about your browsing habits, your use of the Services, your preferences, and your interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of delivering interest-based advertising content on the Services and on third-party sites. Social media platforms have the ability to track your online activity outside of the Services. This may impact the content and messages you see on other services you visit. Connected Devices: For connected devices, such as smart TVs or streaming devices, you should review the device’s settings and select the option that allows you to disable automatic content recognition or ad tracking. Browser Controls: You may be able to disable and manage some Cookies through your browser settings. Flash cookies need to be deleted in the storage section of your Flash Player Settings Manager. Third-party sites and services also use interest-based Advertising Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests on the Services and third-party services. They are also used to recognize you and provide further insights across platforms and devices for the above purposes. You should read the Privacy Policy and this Notice for a full picture of NBCUniversal’s use of your information. Measurement and Analytics: These Cookies collect data regarding your usage of and performance of the Services, apply market research to generate audiences, and measure the delivery and effectiveness of content and advertising. You can set your browser to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.