Rory McIlroy admits he felt rushed after playing most of his opening round at the Amgen Irish Open on the clock but insists that any group he plays in will fall behind given the amount of time he has to wait for spectators and camera crews to shuffle along between shots.
A usual walk from green to tee for McIlroy involves him emerging from a sea of people with at least two camera crews following behind, not to mention having to move spectators out of the way at times in the rough and around the greens.
The bulk of the large Thursday crowd barged into the K Club to catch a glimpse of the newly minted Grand Slam winner and while he appreciated people flocking outside the ropes at half seven this morning he feels it’s only natural that his group would fall behind.
“I felt a little rushed out there for the last twelve holes we got put on the clock pretty early and then the first official went away and then we were put on the clock for the last three holes to try and make time up. It’s hard because you feel rushed and playing some tough holes,” said McIlroy who was left feeling shortchanged after a one-under 71 that leaves him five off the pace.
“Our group has to deal with more than any other group on course so it is understandable that we lose time. When I come back to Europe and play in these one, two, three in the world type groups we are always on the clock for that reason. I felt a little frustrated the last few holes because I feel like it always happens and they don’t use common sense.
“Of course we are going to lose ground because we had to wait on crowds, two camera crews out there and there is a lot more going on with our group than any other group on course and sometimes you have to give a little bit of leeway.
“Everyone is getting timed so you feel like you are a little bit rushed.”
McIlroy was playing alongside South African Thriston Lawrence and Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan who shot rounds of 81 and 77 respectively.
The marquee three-ball fell almost two holes behind Shane Lowry, Brooks Koepka and Martin Couvra in front. McIlroy is one of the quicker players on tour but the extra attention he garners when he returns to the DP World Tour means he is the main attraction.
After a brief spell off the clock, McIlroy’s group was put back on slow play watch for the last three holes and it knocked the Masters champion out of his stride. After Lawrence and Reitan found the water on the seventh, McIlroy played out of turn to keep pace and hit his approach long which cost him a dropped shot and he bogeyed the 8th to finish his day on a sour note.
“They are taking their time and in my mind I’m like do I go first to save time here?” McIlroy said of the debacle on 7 which is the 16th for the members at the K Club. “I could wait my turn but it wasn’t really that I just felt because it has happened to me before in big groups back in Europe I let it agitate me a bit.”
Like his performances in the final two FedEx Cup Playoff events there was plenty of good mixed in with the not so good. The world number two made a quick start with birdies on 11 and 13 and after dropping a shot on 15 he replied with two birdies in three holes to close out his front nine.
“It was pretty good,” said McIlroy. “For the most part I hit it well off the tee. Hit it in the water on 15 and made bogey but other than that everything was quite good. If I had made par on the last three holes I would be feeling good about the round but to bogey two of the last three was disappointing but I am encouraged by how I played.”
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