Rory McIlroy shoots 72, seven shots behind leader after first round of 2026 Open

Rory McIlroy shot a two-over-par 72 in the first round of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 16. ESPN reported that he finished seven shots behind first-round leader Jackson Suber. McIlroy started his round at 3:15 p.m.

And finished at 8:43 p.m. as greens hardened under sun and wind. He missed three putts from inside four feet and ranked 104th in the putting statistics. He was two over after seven holes. McIlroy birdied the ninth after driving the green on the 415-yard hole.

He made back-to-back bogeys early on the back nine before birdies at the 13th and 15th. At the par-five 17th, McIlroy hooked his approach into the gallery, flew the green into a bunker, and missed an eight-foot putt for bogey. He closed with a birdie at the 18th after a 198-yard approach to five feet.

Each of the last 26 Open champions finished within five shots of the lead after round one. McIlroy's result leaves him outside that range with three rounds remaining.