The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Galleries unforgiving of McIlroy’s wedge woes
Rory McIlroy breezed past press men – well, dodged really, because there’s not that much room in the Dundonald mixed zone – with a rare after-round snub that indicates how frustrating his slump has become, writes Steve Scott.
A 74 was actually fairly decent given he was four-over after four holes of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, provoking stunned and spiteful reactions from the Ayrshire faithful arriving at such an early hour to watch him.
A woman watched Rory toil to a six on the long 18th – his ninth – and commented “what a clown”.
McIlroy’s optimism of the pro-am day – he held court entertainingly in the media centre and his team won the knockabout comfortably – vanished within those four holes on a cool and clear morning in the marquee trio with Henrik Stenson and Rickie Fowler.
Stenson actually had the worst start initially, carving his opening tee shot at the 10th into a bank tangled in bracken and fescue and requiring three attempts to get out for an opening triple-bogey seven. The Open champion rescued one shot immediately at the short 11th, and eventually recovered a round of par 72.
As for Rory, the glaring problem was his wedge play, which was abysmal by amateur standards, much less from a man widely acknowledged to be the greatest talent in the game.
Despite requiring just a knockdown pitching wedge into most holes, he was short of the 11th and bunkered, taking a bogey four; short of the 12th green again and a clumsy chip produced another bogey; and then woefully short of the pin at the 13th, where his ball leaked back into the ditch.
Someone in the unforgiving gallery loudly suggested his recent new choice of equipment might be an issue, although in somewhat more colourful language.
Rory continued to stripe his drives, and they helped him pick up birdies at three of the par fives. What probably annoyed him enough to sidestep reporters in the end was the bogey at the ninth, his final hole, which derailed a nice little comeback.
Fowler, although a clear 30 yards behind McIlroy on most holes, played almost faultlessly. He maybe should have got started at the short 11th but missed the putt on the low side, but birdied 13 and 14 and had a little spurt of three in a row on his back nine.
No bogeys, and a 67, which is a perfect way for the American to start the ‘defence’ of the title he won at Gullane but passed on last year at Castle Stuart because of scheduling issues.
He and McIlroy chatted a lot, and the American has no worries about his friend.
“He didn’t make the swings he wanted to today, but he did a great job of hanging in there,” he continued. “He’ll be fine.”
However, after not playing the weekend in Portstewart last week, McIlroy’s Open Championship prep sheet can’t afford to read MC-MC.