Visibly relaxed, the tournament host remained cautiously optimistic for today’s second round. “I still have to make the cut tomorrow”, McIlroy said.
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“My performances in this event, obviously over the past three years, but going beyond that, haven’t been to what I would obviously want”.
“It was a good day”.
We are also pleased that as a result of our sponsorship commitment, The European Tour has announced an increase in prize money from 2,500,000 to 4 million, making it one of the highest purses on the 2016 Race to Dubai and very appealing for global players to participate.
He has started the new year in a solid, consistent fashion as well and came up just one shot shy of the play-off last time out in Morocco when a couple of misplaced wedge shots down the stretch led to bogies having got himself into a tie for the lead.
Just 30 of the 156 starters beat par.
In changing conditions, with rain in the morning and sunny but windy weather in the afternoon, Willett and McIlroy rose to County Kildare’s challenge. Day since has swapped places with Spieth and appears to be surging ahead of McIlroy. “Obviously it looks like we got the better of the conditions out there, but it was still tricky with the wind getting up”.
This July, the 22-year-old One Direction singer will be looking for upcoming golf talent with his management company Modest!
“McLoughlin added: “(The Irish Open) was very encouraging past year and we think it’s going to grow from our point of view. “I think we certainly enjoyed the best part of the day today”.
The Sheffield native stumbled on the 17 to card a bogey, but an birdie on the last put the gloss on an excellent opening round 65. There’s a lot of golf to play but it’s a very encouraging start. It was 150 yards straight downwind.
Back then McIlroy was just 18 years of age and he had taken a three-hour bus ride leaving Belfast at 5.30am to witness the final round on Sunday. I would have been really disappointed if I was sitting there at level par.
“I just need to string four good rounds together in a tournament, and I feel like from there I’ll be off and running”.
McDowell joined Lowry on 71, and was happy to bounce back from a double-bogey on the third hole.
“I kind of made five from nowhere there on the par three third”. 9-13. He missed only one green in regulation.
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Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes McIlroy’s issues stem from lapses in concentration during tournaments, a topic also discussed by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson during a Q&A with McIlroy in Dublin on Tuesday.
