In the inaugural round of the men’s Olympic golfing contest at Le Golf National situated just outside Paris, Rory McIlroy described his own play as “steady”, while Shane Lowry seemed rather dissatisfied. On a sweltering and humid day, McIlroy concluded his round with a three-under-par 68, despite a three-putt bogey on the final hole which left him slightly irked and pensive.
Lowry ended the round three strokes adrift of McIlroy, sharing a score with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama. Matsuyama led the leaderboard on eight-under following a day of on-and-off play due to fluctuating weather conditions. When queried about his satisfaction with his day’s efforts, Lowry unequivocally expressed disappointment, attributing it to missed opportunities during the round and a poor finish.
Both Lowry and McIlroy received loud hearty cheers on starting their games amidst a sea of Irish flags and teal GAA jerseys donned by a significant crowd. Only French golfer Matthieu Pavon, who was in the group behind Lowry, received a more uproarious reception.
Lowry admitted being pleasantly surprised by the high number of supporters from Ireland, stating it made him feel at home. However, he agreed that the clamour was slightly unnerving and led to a slip-up in his opening shot. Nevertheless, he absolved the crowd of any blame, attributing it to his own fault.
Concluding his round before Lowry, McIlroy seemed generally satisfied with his performance, albeit with room for improvement. His focus lingered on a miscalculated putt on the final hole, resulting in a wince of frustration as he departed the course.
When aiming for the middle of the green, about 30 feet from the hole, he used too much force in his first attempt, causing the ball to end up 12 feet past the pin. Consequently, his potential finish of four under and a shared sixth place melted away like ice under the afternoon sun as his return putt didn’t go in.
McIlroy started his first three holes with a par, a bogey, and a birdie respectively. He then earned another birdie on the fifth hole, which is a par-four, and a par-five ninth saw him successfully earning an eagle.
Teamed up with world number one Scottie Scheffler and fourth-ranked Ludvig Aberg, McIlroy exhibited his signature course management. His shot towards the 557-yard green on the third hole, a par-five, narrowly missed to the right. He then executed a sublime wedge to reach the tap-in range, helping him achieve his second birdie before he conquered the ninth hole.
“Things are alright,” McIlroy commented. “There have been ups and downs, as expected. I hadn’t practised much between The Open and this game. Some things went well, some didn’t… But the initial round was strong, aside from the last hole that was a bit of a letdown. On the whole, I believe we’ve made a good start – something we can leverage on from here.”
His round on the back nine netted him three birdies and three bogeys, concluding with a score of 68. Although he trails the leader by five shots, he still believes the course offers a good scoring opportunity given the conditions, which had softened due to heavy rain overnight.
Lowry had a challenging back nine, with bogeys on 15 and 18. Adding to the comedy of errors on the 18th hole, a weather warning took him by surprise just as he was about to take his second shot, resulting in players being evacuated only to return, leave again and then finally come back.
Commenting on fan support at his second Olympic outing after Tokyo 2020, McIlroy said, “The level of support from the crowd was phenomenal. There were a lot more flags visible, and a heightened sense of nationalism was palpable. It was fantastic to see such overwhelming support for us out there.”
After a storm hit earlier today, the golf course seemed slightly easier to play for McIlroy. The greens were softer and more accommodating, while the fairways expanded in width due to the moisture. Players have had to shift their perspectives as the playing conditions were notably different compared to the practice sessions.
McIlroy will kick off his second round from the 15th spot, sharing the position with fellow golfer Lowry who is currently stationed at the 42nd in this competition that doesn’t eliminate participants. The leading scores are held by Matsuyama and Olympic champ Xander Schauffele, who completed his initial round with a superb six-under par 65.
Post-round, players take a moment to reflect and look ahead. Lowry indicated that the journey toward the bronze – the third place, seems distant but there’s still a significant number of 54 holes left to be played.