Rory McIlroy's 148th Open Championship got off to a nightmare start Thursday. It didn't get much better.
The championship favorite began his opening round at Royal Portrush with a quadruple bogey on the par-4 first hole, and he quickly dug himself a 5-over hole after three holes. After a couple of birdies, at Nos. 7 and 9, McIlroy gave them back in stunning fashion at the par-3 16th.
McIlroy left himself 3 feet for par at No. 16, only to softly lip out the par save. McIlroy frustratedly went to tap in for bogey, but his ball brutally lipped out.