Rory McIlroy Has Worst Major Score Since 2019 at British Open After US Open Collapse

Rory McIlroy stumbled out of the gates Thursday in the first round of the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland, carding a seven-over 78.

According to Justin Ray of The Athletic, that marks McIlroy's worst round at a major since he shot a 79 in the first round of the 2019 British Open at Royal Portrush.

Ray noted that it has been a tough go for much of the field thus far at Royal Troon, as it is on pace to be the highest-scoring first round at an Open Championship since 2013 at Muirfield:

McIlroy failed Thursday to bounce back from the disappointment of his final round at the U.S. Open in June when he blew a lead with four holes remaining by bogeying three of the final four holes.

The 35-year-old McIlroy finished second, one shot behind 2024 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy recorded just one birdie on Thursday to go along with four bogeys and two double bogeys.

He played even-par golf for much of the front nine, but a double on the par-three eighth sent his round into a tailspin, as he proceeded to bogey No. 10 and double-bogey No. 11 as well.

As of 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, McIlroy was tied for 132nd place, 10 shots behind leader Justin Thomas, who fired a three-under 68.

McIlroy is a one-time Open Championship winner, having won the event in 2014, plus a four-time major champion overall, but he is in the midst of a lengthy drought.

When McIlroy won both the PGA Championship and Open Championship in 2014 at the age of 25, it was widely assumed that he would go on to perhaps challenge for double-digit major wins in his career.

However, it has now been a decade since McIlroy's last major title, and all signs point toward him finishing 2024 without adding to his career major haul.

Simply making the cut at Royal Troon would be a massive accomplishment for McIlroy at this point given his awful start, but if he doesn't, it will mark his first missed cut at the Open Championship since 2019.