NEWCASTLE, Northern Ireland — Rory McIlroy can't seem to perform in front of a home crowd.
The Northern Ireland star looked bewildered as he shot a 9-over-par 80 — his worst score of the season — in Thursday's opening round of the Irish Open. He fell to the bottom of the morning's leaderboard and finished tied for 150th place at the end of the day.
Many other players struggled amid gales and pounding showers at Royal County Down, a links course in the shadow of the Mourne Mountains famed for its stunning seaside setting, blind approaches and undulating greens.