Caddie calls out meek McIlroy
Rory McIlroy was standing on the sixth tee and already doubting his chances of making the cut at the British Open when his negative thoughts were interrupted by his caddie, JP Fitzgerald.
‘‘He reminded me who I was, basically,’' said McIlroy, a fourtime major champion, after the first round at Royal Birkdale in north-west England yesterday.
‘‘He said to me, ‘you’re Rory McIlroy, what the f... are you doing?’’’
Initially, McIlroy’s response was passive, ‘‘whatever,’' he replied as he mentally grappled with shooting bogeys on four of the first five holes. But then came the recovery.
McIlroy got up and down from a front bunker for par at the short 7th hole, rolled in a 15-foot putt for par at the 8th hole having pushed his drive into the rough, and birdied four of his last eight holes to shoot a 1-over 71.
One of the biggest roars of the day came at No 18 when McIlroy made a 15-footer for birdie,
He bogeyed Nos 3-5 - his par putt at the fourth hole lipped out from four feet - and said he was thinking: ‘‘Geez, here we go again.’'
Fitzgerald’s words kept McIlroy positive and the Northern Irishman was happy that he stayed patient. Just last week at the Scottish Open, McIlroy said his attitude to golf and life in general had improved since getting married in April.
‘‘I didn’t get angry out there at all,’' he said. ‘‘I didn’t let my head drop too much.’'
Ofd the leaders, Spieth had a bogey-free round, though it required great bunker shots even by his standards to keep it that way. Koepka’s round was especially impressive considering he has picked up his clubs only twice since winning the US Open last month.
Kuchar started hot, with four birdies in his first six holes and was five-under at the turn, before putting together nine straight pars on the back nine.
Paul Casey and Schwartzel were one behind the three Americans with their 66s, four-under, while six players shot 67.