Patrick Cantlay shows Rory McIlroy how its done at The Open after moment of misery

The stark contrast between Rory McIlroy’s and Patrick Cantlay’s fortunes was on full display at Royal Troon’s infamous “Postage Stamp” during the opening round of The Open. Both golfers found themselves in the same bunker, but their experiences could not have been more different, with McIlroy’s struggles putting his chances of making the cut in jeopardy.

 

McIlroy, starting the day level par, arrived at the par-three eighth hole, which measures just 123 yards. His tee shot landed in the sand to the right of the green, setting off a disastrous sequence. His first attempt to escape the bunker fell short, rolling back into the trap. It took McIlroy three shots to reach the green, and he subsequently missed his bogey putt, tapping in for a demoralizing double bogey.

 

The setback at the eighth hole marked the beginning of a downward spiral for McIlroy. He bogeyed the 10th hole and then, compounding his troubles, sent his tee shot on the 11th onto the train tracks, resulting in another double bogey. By the end of the day, McIlroy found himself at seven-over-par, facing a daunting task on Friday to avoid missing the cut.

 

In stark contrast, Cantlay handled the same bunker with aplomb. Sitting at one-over-par through 11 holes, his moment of brilliance came at the eighth. After finding the bunker, Cantlay executed a perfect second shot, holing out for an impressive birdie. The American golfer, whose caddie Joe LaCava had a notable altercation with McIlroy at last year’s Ryder Cup, emerged from the bunker visibly stunned by the cheers from the grandstands.

 

For McIlroy, the day ended with much introspection as another chance to end his decade-long wait for a fifth major title seemed to slip away.

 

“Difficult day,” McIlroy admitted. “I felt like I did OK for the first part of the round and then missed the green at the Postage Stamp and left it in, making a double. I was still in reasonable shape being a couple over through nine, thinking I could get those shots back and shoot even par or something like that.”

 

He continued, “Then hitting the ball out of bounds on 11, making a double there, even though the wind on the back nine was helping, it was a lot off the left. I was actually surprised by how difficult the back nine played. The course was tough. The conditions were very difficult with a wind we hadn’t seen so far this week.”

 

Reflecting on his performance, McIlroy added, “When you get a wind you haven’t played in, it presents different options and you start to think about maybe hitting a few clubs you haven’t hit in practice. It was just one of those days where I didn’t adapt well enough to the conditions.”

 

As McIlroy contemplates his strategy for the following day, Cantlay remains hopeful, poised to make his mark at The Open with a solid start.