All it took was one shot of brilliance for Rory McIlroy to play the role of a magician. Not quite a case of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, more of magically flicking a switch to move from the shadows into the spotlight in manoeuvring into position to fulfil his star billing in the Italian Open at Marco Simone resort in Rome on Thursday.
One shot, of brilliance combined with a little luck, was all it took: on the par-four third hole, one measuring 453 yards, McIlroy – who had been one-over on his round through 11 holes, having started on the 10th tee – hit a tee shot that left him with 115 yards to the pin from where he swung a wedge and then watched as the ball hit the green and spun into the hole.
Cue high-fives and fist bumps with caddie Harry Diamond and, from there on, there was a definite pep to his step as he finished with three further birdies on his card to sign for an opening round of four-under-par 67. That left him in a group alongside Gavin Green, Adri Arnaus, Scott Jamieson, Eddie Pepperell and Antoine Rozner, who all managed to complete their rounds in the weather-affected first round which saw US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick atop the leaderboard on five under through 15 holes.
On the course which will play host to next year’s Ryder Cup match against the United States, McIlroy and Fitzpatrick were among those players keen to get a competitive round in ahead of that encounter, although McIlroy – runner-up to Shane Lowry in the BMW PGA at Wentworth on Sunday – confessed to be “half-asleep” in his play of the front nine where he turned in one over and needed to sink a 20-footer for a par save on the 18th to avoid a worse outcome.
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On his back nine, however, that hole out for an eagle two sparked him into life and McIlroy rolled in a 12-footer for birdie on the fifth before finishing with back-to-back birdies on the eighth (from 15 feet) and ninth (from three feet) to move into the business part of proceedings.
“I think that eagle obviously ignited something and sort of kick-started my round a little bit. I played some really good golf on the way in. I can’t complain. I played the more difficult nine well and the easier nine not so well, so it probably evened out. I just need to tidy up a few things going into the next few days,” said the world No 2.
Of the course that will stage next year’s Ryder Cup, McIlroy – who met with Europe Captain Luke Donald and a number of other potential Ryder Cup players for a pre-tournament dinner – identified the need to accuracy off the tee as being key.
“The rough is incredibly thick and there’s sort of jungle outside of that if you get way off line. So keeping it in the fairway is the big key and then because there’s so many undulations and different levels on the greens, it is trying to get the ball in the right place on the greens … if I can get the ball in the fairway the next three days I should have a chance.”
McIlroy was comfortably the best of the Irish contingent competing, with Jonny Caldwell – in a round of three birdies and two bogeys – the only other one to break par. Caldwell signed for an opening 70, one under, but Paul Dunne (74) and Niall Kearney (75) have work to do to survive the midway cut. Cormac Sharvin was two over through 17 holes when play was suspended.
Fitzpatrick was bogey-free for his 15 holes which featured five birdies, including a brilliant hat-trick from the 11th.
“I played well in patches. I’ve been lucky off the tee probably three times today. Just had a lie and got myself back in position and made a par, which I feel like, looking at the scoring over the day, pars have been good scores. To be honest I’m taking my chance when is I’ve had them, which is great. But I need to sharpen the driver.”
Fitzpatrick’s brother, Alex, playing on a sponsor’s invitation, was one under on his round through 15 holes.
In the Portugal Open at Royal Obidas on the Challenge Tour, Dubliner Conor Purcell was the best of the Irish players in action after signing for a two-under-par 70 that left him in tied-14th, three strokes behind first-round leader, Todd Clements of England.
