The Open: Rory McIlroy justifies aggressive tactics in first-round 69
2014 champion registers three birdies and just one bogey in opening round at Carnoustie
By Keith Jackson at Carnoustie
Last Updated: 20/07/18 12:01pm
Rory McIlroy believes his aggressive tactics were justified on the first day of The 147th Open as he fired a solid two-under 69 to lie just three off the lead.
McIlroy was not satisfied with his driving accuracy, but with the rough at Carnoustie being substantially friendlier than in previous Opens in Angus, he was often able to find the green without too much undue stress.
The 2014 champion offset three birdies with just one bogey and holed his best putt of the day from 20 feet for a crucial par save at the 16th, and he was delighted to be in red numbers after 18 holes.
The 29-year-old did miss a handful of chances to enhance his score, including a putt from inside 10 feet on the final green which caught the lip, but he insisted his putting performance was a vast improvement to his four days of frustration in Ireland two weeks ago.
"I didn't see the fairway much, but as I said at the start of the week, it's very playable if you're not in the fairway," said McIlroy. "As long as you don't hit it in the fairway bunkers, you're always going to have a shot at the green.
"That's why I tried to stay as aggressive as I possibly could even though I wasn't hitting the driver maybe as well as I could. There are a lot of pins that were tucked away either on the left side of the green or the right side. So I was trying so hard to make sure that I was down one side of the fairway.
"You know, it wasn't pretty off the tee, but I got it done and I took advantage of some fortunate bounces. I would have taken 69 to start the day."
While many in the field are taking a more conservative approach off the tees with the course playing hard and fast, McIlroy vowed to persist with his attacking policy through to Sunday in the hope it will help him end his four-year wait for a fifth major title.
"If you play aggressive around here, you might make more bogeys than playing it safe, but you're going to make more birdies as well," he added. "You're going to give yourself more birdie looks and, after the fifth hole, I didn't look like making bogey until 16 when I missed the green.
"Obviously I got away with some tee shots, but at the same time, I think that's what I have to do. That's my game plan this week and I'm convinced that that's the way that I should play it. It's not going to be for everyone, but it worked out pretty well today."
McIlroy's tactics were validated as early as the third hole when, after waiting for the green to clear after Marc Leishman and Thorbjorn Olesen had hit irons off the tee, he launched a drive to the back of the green at the par-four and got up-and-down to register his first birdie of the day.
"It was my honour, but the guys hit irons down there, and I'm waiting for about 15 minutes on the tee to let the group in front to finish, and I've got a driver in my hand, and I'm like, I'd better hit a good drive here," he said.
"It was nice to get it over the back of the green, but to get that up-and-down for birdie, it sort of was validation, like, 'yes, this is the right way to do it'. It was a nice little moment just like almost a little personal victory, I guess.
"Everyone likes to see guys hit driver, and I got a bit of a cheer when I pulled the driver out on the third as well. But different players are going to have a different way to see how they're going to play this golf course.
"I know Tiger's out there hitting a lot of irons off tees and doing it his own way, but nobody's going to argue with him. He did it like that at Hoylake, and he was able to win there.
"And I think Jon Rahm shot a couple under as well, and he's probably even more aggressive than I am around here."
