Rory McIlroy gives verdict on disaster start to The Open: "That's all I can focus on"

World number three Rory McIlroy says he has to focus on making the cut after getting off to the worst possible start to the 152nd Open Championship. 

McIlroy insisted he was in a good frame of mind before his tilt at the final men's major of the year at Royal Troon. 

He told reporters in his pre-tournament news conference he got over his US Open defeat to Bryson DeChambeau relatively quickly. 

But it appears McIlroy has already played himself out of contention to claim a fifth major title after carding a seven-over 78 on Thursday. 

McIlroy, playing alongside Max Homa and Tyrrell Hatton, got off to a sluggish start with an opening bogey. 

He bounced back with a birdie at the third and notched four pars in a row before disaster struck at the Postage Stamp.

The par-three eighth hole caused carnage on day one and McIlroy was one of its victims as he needed two shots to get out en route to a double bogey. 

He drove his tee shot out of bounds at the 11th which led to another costly double. 

McIlroy also dropped a shot on the final hole having found the deep, fairway bunker and was forced to chip out sideways. 

"Difficult day," McIlroy said, adding: "I felt like I did okay for the first part of the round and then missed the green at the Postage Stamp there and left it in and made a double.

"But still, felt like I was in reasonable enough shape being a couple over through nine, thinking that I could maybe get those couple shots back, try to shoot even par, something like that."

McIlroy said the wind was playing different to his practice rounds. 

"I guess when that happens, you play your practice rounds, you have a strategy that you think is going to help you get around the golf course, but then when you get a wind you haven't played in, it starts to present different options and you start to think about maybe hitting a few clubs that you haven't hit in practice."

"[It was] just one of those days where I just didn't adapt well enough to the conditions."

McIlroy wasn't the only high-profile name to suffer on day one. 

The aforementioned DeChambeau also has his work cut out to make the cut after he carded a 76. 

DeChambeau blamed equipment issues for his poor start. 

McIlroy was asked if he can pull this back. 

His response?

He paused, winced and said: "I mean, all I need to focus on is tomorrow and try to make the cut. That's all I can focus on.

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