Rory McIlroy birdied the three par-fives with a sensational combination of power and guile. But while he was solid on the greens for most of the day, Riviera Country Club's poa annua surfaces became bumpier late in the day and cost the world No 3 some crucial shots.

Rory McIlroy had a busy day in Dublin on Thursday. Not only did her visit Facebook's European HQ — he's now got 1 million "likes" on the social media channel — he also spoke to three British golf writers and Off the Ball's Nathan Murphy from Irish radio station Newstalk.