US Open: McIlroy slams membership into sand after bunker-to-bunker nightmare however miraculously saves par

Muricas News  — 

For a couple of transient moments, Rory McIlroy seemed relatable to the common golfer. Then, the Northern Irishman served a reminder of why he's a four-time main winner.

Having fun with a quick begin on the 122nd U.S Open – hosted at The Nation Membership in Brookline, Massachusetts – catastrophe struck on his fourteenth gap, the fifth gap, when McIlroy launched his tee shot in direction of a bunker on the suitable aspect of the golf green.

Confronted with a clumsy lie – the ball sat amongst the tall grass on the bunker’s tip – issues went from unhealthy to worse because the 33-year-old efficiently escaped the bunker solely to look at his ball fizz into the sand of one other mere yards in entrance.

McIlroy solid a despairing take a look at his ft earlier than slamming his membership into the sand twice, with method imitating an – albeit aggressive – bunker exit shot.

Fittingly, the world No. three proceeded to point out his flawless method together with his subsequent exit effort from the center of the subsequent bunker, the ball scooping onto the inexperienced and rolling narrowly previous the outlet.

Sinking his putt to save lots of par, McIlroy’s nice escape highlighted a powerful opening spherical that left him tied for the lead at three-under 67 when he returned to the clubhouse.

Two-under by the again 9 after beginning on the tenth gap, he had seemed set to complete his spherical because the outright chief with back-to-back birdies forward of the final tee.

Nevertheless, a clumsy method shot into the lengthy grass on the par-four last gap left McIlroy needing one other miracle to make par. Throwing his membership away in anger, the response mimicked that of his fourteenth gap however the consequence didn't, with McIlroy pressured to finish the day together with his first bogey of the spherical.

The Northern Irishman is chasing his twenty second PGA Tour win and fifth main triumph on the US Open, a event that gave him his first main triumph in 2011. McIlroy had gained the British Open and the PGA Championship twice by the shut of 2014 however has not gained a serious since.

He arrived in Boston in good kind after profitable the Canadian Open, defending his 2019 title, and believed the triumph gave him “consolation” heading into the week.

“Enjoying 72 holes within the US Open is like enjoying below stress your complete time although the event doesn’t actually begin till the weekend,” McIlroy informed Sky Sports activities after his spherical.

“I feel mentally I'm in a great place which I confirmed immediately with a few of the par saves and attempting to maintain myself going.”

He shares the lead with Sweden’s David Lingmerth and England’s Callum Tarren, with a number of huge names but to card their opening spherical in Boston.

Phil Mickelson, enjoying on his 52nd birthday, teed off to cheers. The six-time main winner has confronted a tumultuous few weeks following his involvement within the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf sequence, enjoying on the opening occasion in London final week.