Rory McIlroy says missed short putts and costly errors damaged his opening round

Rory McIlroy admitted “too many stupid mistakes” cost him the chance to make a strong start at The Open after a frustrating opening round at Royal Birkdale.

The six-time major winner signed for a two-over-par 72 after a messy day that mixed flashes of quality with damaging errors on the greens. The McIlroy Open start left him seven shots behind surprise leader Jackson Suber, who produced a superb five-under 65.

McIlroy arrived in Southport hoping to add another Claret Jug to the Masters title he won earlier this year. Instead, he left the 18th green looking dejected after a round that featured four birdies and six bogeys.

The biggest problem came with the putter. McIlroy missed three four-foot putts in the space of four holes from the seventh, leaving himself under pressure on a course where scoring was already difficult. He also dropped shots on both par-fives, errors he admitted were especially costly.

The McIlroy Open start was not without positives. He drove the ball well and even reached the green at the 415-yard ninth hole, showing that his long game remains sharp. But his failure to turn good positions into a solid score meant he finished the day chasing rather than leading.

After his round, McIlroy said he struggled to judge the speed and movement of the greens in the early holes. He described them as inconsistent, with some areas still growing and others appearing dry and dead.

That uncertainty quickly affected his confidence. McIlroy said a couple of early putts seemed to break one way before moving another, making it difficult to trust his reads. Once doubt entered his stroke, the missed short putts started to pile up.

The McIlroy Open start became a battle to limit the damage. Every time he made a mistake, he found a birdie to stop the round from getting away completely. That was enough to keep him inside the wider conversation, but not enough to avoid a difficult gap to the top of the leaderboard.

History is not entirely on his side. Each of the past 26 Open champions has been within five shots of the lead after the first round. McIlroy is seven back, meaning he will need a sharp response on Friday to drag himself into contention.

But he has overturned that kind of deficit before. At the 2025 Masters, McIlroy recovered from a seven-shot gap after the opening round and went on to win. That comeback gives him reason to believe this championship is not already slipping away.

The McIlroy Open start may also look different after round two if conditions change. He said the scoring appeared easier in the morning wave and expects that advantage could flip on Friday, when he tees off at 10:09 BST.

McIlroy hopes calmer conditions and smoother greens will give him the chance to shoot under par and climb back into the tournament. He insisted he is “not too far away”, despite the frustration of his opening round.

For now, the McIlroy Open start is a story of missed chances. His driving looked strong, his birdies kept him alive, but the short putts and untidy bogeys left him with work to do.

The Open is rarely won on Thursday, but it can become much harder to win after one careless round. McIlroy knows that better than anyone. His task now is simple: clean up the mistakes quickly before Suber and the chasing pack move out of reach.