Humiliating moment Rory McIlroy's ball rolls back to his feet after terrible shot during first round at The Open

The infamous Postage Stamp spread astatine Royal Troon claimed its first victims of nan 152nd Open Championship Thursday and among them was nary different than Rory McIlroy. 

The Northern Irishman headed to Scotland this week for his past chance of ending his decade-long awesome drought this year, 1 period connected from his agonizing implosion astatine nan US Open. 

But earlier he could moreover scope nan move of his first round, disaster struck. The 35-year-old entered nan achromatic astatine nan par-three eighth. 

Despite only playing 123 yards, nan mini greenish astatine nan short par-three is treacherous. Miss and you're successful problem - thing McIlroy learnt nan difficult way. 

The four-time awesome victor recovered 1 of nan lethal, steep-sided bunkers to nan correct of nan greenish and paid nan price.

He attempted a wedge changeable to scatter retired of nan sand, which worked - for a second. Trying to navigate nan delicate equilibrium of escaping nan hazard but not firing it complete to nan different broadside of nan green, he didn't rather springiness it capable power. 

His shot caught nan slope of nan greenish and trundled each nan measurement back, not only degreening itself but besides uncovering nan soil again. 

Having gained possibly a full of 2 feet, McIlroy attempted to play his bunker changeable again but wary of a repeat, he gave his 2nd chance excessively overmuch and had to settee for a double bogey. 

There was nary chance of a bounceback either. A bogey astatine nan tenth and different double astatine nan 11th followed, sinking McIlroy further down nan leaderboard. 

McIlroy is aiming to heal his US Open heartbreak astatine Troon this week aft he agonizingly missed retired to Bryson DeChambeau astatine Pinehurst. 

Holding a two-shot lead during nan last information of past month's major, McIlroy carded 3 bogeys crossed nan last 5 holes - missing 2 putts from a mixed region of 7 feet.

He stepped backmost from nan golfing spotlight, taking clip distant for 3 weeks amid a turbulent clip connected and disconnected nan course. 

He made his return to play astatine nan Genesis Scottish Open past week, wherever he vanished successful a necktie for 4th astatine 14-under.

His US Open choke, which extended his decade-long awesome triumph drought, came amid a turbulent clip disconnected nan people too. 

On nan eve of nan US Open, he announced he was calling disconnected nan divorcement from his woman of 7 years, Erica Stoll. 

It was only a period prior, earlier nan PGA Championship successful May, that McIlroy announced that he and Erica were to split owed to their matrimony being 'irretrievably broken'.

But connected nan Tuesday earlier nan tournament, McIlroy said successful a statement: 'There person been rumors astir my individual life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is simply a fool’s game. 

'Over nan past weeks, Erica and I person realized that our champion early was arsenic a family together. Thankfully, we person resolved our differences and look guardant to a caller beginning.'