McIlroy frustrated by slow play warning and bad finish at The K Club

Rory McIlroy. Picture: Getty Images

Rory McIlroy called on officials to have more "common sense" after his group was put on the clock and he dropped two shots in his last three holes to open with a frustrating one-under 71 in the Amgen Irish Open.

Massive galleries followed the Masters champion, South African Thriston Lawrence and Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan at The K Club.

But after losing a hole on Shane Lowry's group up ahead, McIlroy's group was put on the clock by officials, and he ended his first round five shots behind Spain's Nacho Elvira, Dane Thorbjorn Olesen and France’s Romain Langasque.

"Honestly, I felt a little rushed out there for the last 12 holes,” McIlroy complained. "We got put on the clock pretty early, and then the first official went away, and then we put on the clock for the last three holes to try to make time up.

"And it's hard because you feel a bit rushed. You're playing some tough holes and our group has to deal with a lot more than any other group on the course.

"So it's understandable that we lose time. And I feel like anytime I either come back to Europe or I play in some of these, like 1-2-3 in the world type groups, we're always put on the clock for that reason.

"So got a little frustrated the last few holes, because I feel like it always happens.

"I don't think they use sort of common sense in terms of, of course, we're going to lose ground because we're going to have to wait on crowds and wait on the two camera crews that are out there.

"There's a lot more going on with our group than with any of the other groups on the course.
"And sometimes I feel like they have to give us a little bit of leeway and use a bit of common sense."

McIlroy made four birdies and a bogey on the back nine to turn in three under, but after following a bogey at the tight second with a birdie four at the fourth, he bogeyed the seventh and par-three eighth to slip back down the field.

He added: "It's happened to me quite a lot before in these sorts of big groups when I come back to Europe to play, and I just let it get me a little bit."

As for his round, he was generally pleased, adding: "Everything was quite good. I think if I had parred the last three holes, I would have felt pretty good about the round.

"But letting two shots go there in the last three holes was a bit disappointing, but certainly encouraged by how I played, and some of the shots that I saw."

Lowry was far happier after he birdied three of his last five holes for a 69 that left him inside the top 10.
After going out in level par, he birdied the fourth and sixth, then made a six-footer for par at the eighth before rolling in a 14-footer at the ninth.

"I was pretty happy with the way I finished," said Lowry, who was one over through his first eight holes.

"Even though I was one over through eight, I was playing nicely, and I was hitting the ball well and giving myself some chances.

"So I just had to stay patient, and that's what I did, and get myself a few chances coming in, and managed to convert a few as well."

Robert Moran birdied three of his last five holes to shoot a solid 72, but Padraig Harrington got little out of his round on the greens and made just one birdie in a 74.

"I'm glad I'm not doing it for a living," Harrington joked. "Yeah, it was pretty frustrating. I missed a short one on the first green, and all day I couldn't get the ball in the hole.

"So tough a day like that. I just didn't create any momentum. But it's not the end of the world.

"As I said, I was happy I hit it quite nicely and saw a lot of good, positive signs. Hit loads of good putts. I just wasn't able to get the reads right."