RORY McILROY’S Open bid flew off track… when his wayward shot sailed over the railway line at Royal Troon.
And the world No 2 ended up with a nightmare first-round 78 — finishing a whopping SEVEN OVER PAR.
But Shane Lowry has a shot at glory after a five-under 66 put him 12 SHOTS clear of his Ryder Cup pal.
McIlroy also hit the buffers on the famous Postage Stamp hole with a double-bogey five as gusty winds wrecked his train of thought.
The 35-year-old – out to end a decade-long Major drought – said: “All I need to focus on is trying to make the cut.
“Conditions were tough on that back nine and I just didn’t do a good enough job.
“I did OK for the first part, then missed the green at the Postage Stamp and made a double.
“Then hitting out of bounds on 11, making a double there. I was surprised just how difficult the back nine played.”
Fans crossed the little-used track to find McIlroy’s lost ball on the 11th — which nestled in thick gorse.
The Northern Irishman, who won his fourth and last Major at the 2014 USPGA Championship, now faces an uphill battle just to make tomorrow evening’s cut.
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He refuses to give up his bid, but added: “I need to shoot under par and be here for the weekend, get up the leaderboard and feel I have half a chance.”
Irishman Lowry, who won this event in 2019, said: “I holed a putt and thought, ‘That’s the first time I’ve led The Open for five years’.
“I’d love to give myself a chance. If I keep holing putts, I can be dangerous.”
World No1 Scottie Scheffler said that conditions were so tough they made a 50-yard difference to his shots.
He said: “When you get a wet ball into the wind, it’s amazing how short it goes.
“I think it was No2 today, I had 165 to the pin off a slight up slope, and I hit a hold 5-iron, which for me usually goes about 205.
“It went probably 155 at the most. Probably carried 150, and ended up 155, and I striped it.
“The slight upslope had something to do with that, but I mean, I flighted it down pretty good, and it’s my 205 shot, and it went 155.”
RORY MCILROY enjoyed a high-profile romance with former tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki before their split in 2014.
The following year, the golf ace began dating Erica Stoll, who he had first met on the PGA Tour in 2011.
Erica often interacted with players through her role as the PGA’s manager of championship volunteer operations.
She even prevented McIlroy from missing his tee time at the 2012 Ryder Cup after some confusion over the time zone.
The incident began a firm friendship between the pair, four years before their relationship turned romantic.
McIlroy and Erica were spotted on a string of dates in Rochester, New York, in the early days of their relationship.
Just eight months later, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017.
The pair then welcomed daughter Poppy into the world three years later.
Throughout their time together, McIlroy and Erica have kept their relationship to themselves, with the golfer keen to protect his family from the cameras during filming of Netflix’s Full Swing documentary series.
However, after seven years of marriage, McIlroy filed for divorce from Erica.
The reasons for the divorce were not disclosed, but the Northern Irishman submitted documents to a court in Florida.
However, a few weeks later, performed a U-turn on their decision to divorce.
McIlroy told the outlet: “Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
