Rory McIlroy names struggling part of his game that really pleased him on day one of the 2024 Irish Open

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Rory McIlroy is off to a solid start at the Amgen Irish Open after carding a three-under 68 at Royal County Down.

McIlroy made six birdies, including three on his last three holes, to move into the top five.

The Northern Irishman finished the day two shots back of Englishman Todd Clements. McIlroy predicted a challenge, and Royal County Down didn’t disappoint.

After a testing second half of the PGA Tour season, McIlroy is eyeing his second Irish Open, and the four-time major winner was particularly pleased with one part of his game.

Rory McIlroy thrilled with his ball-flight at the Irish Open

McIlroy famously missed the cut at the 2024 Open Championship after the 35-year-old struggled in Royal Troon’s windy conditions.

However, on Thursday at the Irish Open, the Northern Irishman was pleased with how he controlled his ball flight.

“It was nice; I felt like I controlled my ball flight well,” McIlroy explained. “I’ve been working a little bit on my swing these last couple of weeks. Yeah, it felt a little better.

“I’ve probably struggled a lot in left-to-right winds this year, so to sort of control my ball flight a bit and test it out there today was good to see that, you know, I was able to do it when I needed to.”

Rory McIlroy looking to control emotions at Royal County Down

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McIlroy is back in familiar surroundings this week, but the four-time major winner hasn’t always enjoyed success in Northern Ireland.

McIlroy famously missed the cut at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush and hasn’t won the Irish Open since 2016.

Of course, a win at Royal County Down would rank amongst his career highlights, but McIlroy has admitted he must control his emotions when playing in his native country.

“I’ve had to learn over the years how to manage my week when I come home,” McIlroy told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.

“I’m trying so hard to perform in front of the home fans, but then if I push too hard, it’s detrimental to my game.

“It’s about managing all those emotions and getting lost in my own little world and not trying to do anything I wouldn’t normally do.”