Rory McIlroy shot 1 under Thursday at Royal Portrush, a better start than the first time he played the British Open at the Northern Ireland course near home.

Rory McIlroy fought hard against errors in his game to card a one-under-par opening round at Royal Portrush, sitting just three shots back of the lead in The Open Championship

The hometown hero is back at Royal Portrush, but Rory McIlroy was poor off the tee again as the Open Championship rolls on.

That feat was last achieved by Tiger Woods in 2005, when Woods won his fourth Green Jacket in a sudden‑death playoff at Augusta and then went on to dominate The Open at St Andrews, firing rounds of 66‑67‑71‑70 for a 274 (−14) total to win by five strokes.

Rory McIlroy had a singular pursuit. Visit his hometown of Holywood, in Northern Ireland, and you leave knowing the truth of that.

McIlroy starts British Open bid with rollercoaster 70 * Bogeys first hole before fighting back * Northern Irishman bidding for second British Open title (Adds more quotes) By Martyn Herman PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland,

Rory McIlroy, fresh from completing his career Grand Slam, knows all too well the perils of Hughie's hole after a disastrous start in the previous Open held there. In 2019, the five-time major champion's first drive disastrously veered left into the out-of-bounds, culminating in a quadruple bogey eight that set a grim tone for the rest of his play.