Royal Birkdale: Rory McIlroy relies on driver despite putting struggles at The Open

By Harry Loxley · Senior Football Correspondent · 18.07.2026

By Harry Loxley — 17 July 2026 — 3 min read

McIlroy’s Aggressive Approach

Rory McIlroy is employing an aggressive strategy at The Open at Royal Birkdale, frequently utilising his driver to gain an advantage. This approach was evident on Friday, particularly on the 414-yard par-four 9th hole. McIlroy drove the green, with his ball travelling 403 yards to within 11 feet of the hole. Despite this powerful shot, he ultimately settled for a birdie after a tentative putt, missing an opportunity for an eagle.

McIlroy acknowledged that his initial game plan for the 9th hole was to lay up and hit a wedge, but he decided to seize the opportunity presented. His strong driving has been a consistent feature of his play over the first two days of the tournament, and he intends to continue this tactic. He noted that his comfort with the driver allows him to take on challenging holes and avoid fairway bunkers, providing a significant advantage.

This aggressive driving has been a highlight, with McIlroy driving the par-four ninth green in both the first and second rounds. His ability to hit the ball long and accurately off the tee has been described as phenomenal, creating numerous chances for him on the course. He aims to maintain this aggressive mindset, picking and choosing moments to deploy his driver effectively.

Putting Challenges Persist

Despite his impressive driving, McIlroy has faced difficulties with his putting on Royal Birkdale‘s greens. On the first day of the tournament, he ranked 155th out of 156 players in strokes gained putting, losing three strokes to the field. While his putting showed some improvement on the second day, he admitted he still feels uncomfortable and is working to understand the greens better as the week progresses.

McIlroy consulted putting coach Brad Faxon before his second round to address these issues. He described feeling unnerved by putts that did not follow his read, suggesting the pin positions have made the greens particularly challenging. He noted that some pin placements on Friday were very tricky, adding to the complexity of putting at Birkdale.

His iron play has also been described as inconsistent, contributing to missed birdie opportunities from distances between 10 and 20 feet. This combination of strong driving but inconsistent putting and iron play has characterised his performance, leading to a solid but not exceptional round of 67, three under par, on Friday.

Tournament Outlook

McIlroy’s second-round score of 67 followed an opening round of 72, leaving him seven strokes behind clubhouse leader Lucas Herbert. Despite being well back from the lead, he remains optimistic about his chances for the remainder of the tournament. His primary objective for Friday was to make the cut for the weekend, which he achieved.

He acknowledged that seeing other players, such as Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns, record exceptional rounds of 62 made him feel he could have performed better. However, McIlroy believes that many of the players currently at the top of the leaderboard may be experiencing the pressure of leading a major championship for the first time on a weekend. He highlighted that only Cam Young and Sam Burns among the leaders have significant experience in such situations.

McIlroy expressed confidence that a strong start on Saturday, aiming to be four or five under for the tournament, would put him firmly back in contention. His playing partner, Matt Fitzpatrick, missed the cut, ending at four over, and expressed frustration with the unpredictable nature of links golf at Birkdale. McIlroy’s ability to continue his powerful driving could be key to his rally in the coming days.

Source: theguardian.com

Harry Loxley

Senior Football Correspondent

Harry Loxley is a Senior Football Correspondent at NewsGB.org. He spent his early career reporting East Midlands football. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Derby and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Derby, he watches non-league and runs a fan podcast. “Good football writing follows the people, not just the points.”