The Open: Rory McIlroy admits ‘too many stupid mistakes’ cost him in ragged opening round

Rory McIlroy admitted “too many stupid mistakes” prevented him from making a strong start at the Open Championship as a rollercoaster opening round of 72 left him seven shots behind surprise leader Jackson Suber.

Hoping to add a second claret jug to the second Masters title he claimed in April, McIlroy endured a frustrating day during a round on the greens at Royal Birkdale that featured four birdies and six bogeys.

The six-time major winner missed three four-foot putts from the seventh to four holes before combining three birdies with two bogey sixes in his final six holes.

“The two bogeys on the par-fives weren’t great and I struggled on the first two holes to get speed to the green,” said the 2014 Open champion, who felt he drove the ball well after driving the 415-yard ninth hole green.

“I felt they were very inconsistent, because some parts of the greens were still alive and growing and other parts were really dead.”

McIlroy, who finished joint fourth at Birkdale at the 2017 Open, added: “(I) kind of felt like I pushed it a little bit, but made a lot of stupid mistakes. But every time I made a stupid mistake, thankfully I made a birdie to put myself in it.”

“(I’m) not too far off. Hopefully we’ll get better conditions (Thursday) and the greens might be a little smoother in the morning.”