Thursday 29 August 2019 20:46, UK
Rory McIlroy admitted it was taking time to get used to playing in European conditions again after making a steady start to the Omega European Masters.
McIlroy mixed six birdies with three bogeys during an opening-round 67 at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland, leaving him four strokes back from clubhouse leader Matthias Schwab.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
The world No 2 is making his fourth start in as many weeks, less than 96 hours after winning the FedExCup and its $15m jackpot on the PGA Tour, with McIlroy - who finished runner-up at the event in 2008 - hoping for a strong finish to his busy stretch.
"I felt like I did okay," McIlroy said. "It's so different to the golf I've been playing the past few weeks. I'm just trying to adjust and get used to these greens again and how far the ball is going and what the ball is going to do out of the rough.
"I played well on the back nine, which was our front nine. To play that nine in three under I thought was good. I took advantage of a couple the shorter par fours on the front-nine but I made a couple of bogeys there as well.
"I think if I have to play a tournament this week, I wouldn't want to play anywhere else. It's a beautiful place and I'm glad I'm back after all these years. Hopefully I can play a bit of good golf over the next three days and give myself a chance."
Beginning on the back nine alongside Lee Westwood and Matt Wallace, McIlroy rolled in a 12-foot birdie from the fringe at the 10th but bogeyed the par-three next.
McIlroy nudged in from close-range at the 14th and added another birdie from five feet at the next, before holing a downhill 15-footer at the 18th to reach the turn in 32.
The Northern Irishman missed a three-footer at the fifth, only to get up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the driveable sixth and then nudge in from three feet at the next.
McIlroy missed the green off the par-three eighth tee and was unable to save par, with the world No 2 then misjudging his birdie look at the ninth on his way to a closing par.
Watch the Omega European Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday from 10.30am on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.
