Rory McIlroy shot a one-over round of 72 on a “rollercoaster” opening day at the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.
The Masters champion, who won this tournament in 2013, had an up and down round which included five birdies and six bogeys in tricky conditions with strong winds.
His playing partners Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee both finished two under for the day, while Australia’s Elvis Smylie, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz are in a three-way tie for the lead on six under.
Scotland’s Cameron Adam, appearing at just his second tournament as a professional, is two shots behind the leaders.
The 22-year-old missed the cut on his professional debut at last month’s Australian PGA Championship but has started strongly in Melbourne.
He hit three birdies on the front nine and added a further two on his way back to the clubhouse before dropping a shot on the par-three 16th to sign for a 67.
McIlroy started his round on the back nine with a birdie on the 10th, but bogeys at the following two holes set the tone for his round.
“Every time I made a birdie or two, I made a bogey or two,” he said.
“It felt like one of those days – what side of par am I going to finish on, under or over?
“It wasn’t terrible. I hit it in a couple of bad spots and had a couple of early three-putts as well.
“It’s tricky conditions and not like anyone is getting away out there, so I limited the damage and hope the conditions are a little bit better tomorrow.”
