Rory McIlroy effectively wrote of any chance of success at The Open after a disastrous first round at Royal Troon.
The Northern Irishman – looking to end his ten-year major drought and make amends for his US Open collapse last month – was level par after seven holes in Thursday’s first day of play.
But it all unravelled as he ran up a double bogey on the famous par-three Postage Stamp eighth hole.
McIlroy then drove out of bounds on the 11th to claim another double bogey and eventually finished on 78.
According to statistician Justin Ray, lead data analyst at KPMG Performance Insights, 87 per cent of Open winners since 1960 have been within four shots of the lead after the first round.
While McIlroy toiled, his close pal and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry shone as he carded five birdies in a bogey-free 66.