McIlroy stays in contention after windy opening round at Irish Open

Rory McIlroy navigated the blustery conditions at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg to finish the opening round one under par, four strokes off the clubhouse lead. He began with two birdies, reached the turn at two under, but a double-bogey on the 13th and missed opportunities on the back-nine kept him from a lower total. Joaquin Niemann posted a 65, the lowest round of the week, while Shane Lowry and Shaun Norris were tied at three under.

The wind, reaching 35 mph, caused balls to bounce on greens and slowed the pace of play, with many players experiencing long waits. McIlroy said the conditions made it hard to find a rhythm but felt he "hung in there" and will look to improve on Friday.