The Open Championship 2013: Big Names Feeling Pressure After Round 1 Problems

The Open Championship always throws up surprises.

Big names vying for victory have often succumbed to golf's oldest major competition. This year's Muirfield course, which can be kept up to date with right here, is the graveyard that produced one of the sport's most notorious downfalls back in 2002. Tiger Woods' score of 81 in Round 3 remains his worst output in the professional game, as confirmed by PGA Tour Stats:

This year's British Open continues to test each of the 156 entrants. While the likes of Woods, Louis Oosthuizen and Graeme McDowell breezed to making par, other fan favourites failed to excel, with disappointing numbers throughout the opening round. Let's take a look at some of the strugglers.

Rory McIlroy

Nike's $200 million dollar man just can't catch a break right now. Under intense pressure to perform, McIlroy posted a terrible opening round at the Scottish course. The Northern Irishman started his back nine with bogey, bogey, double bogey to lose ground on those at the top of the leaderboard.

Onlookers have seen McIlroy driving his ball into the rough, chipping wildly and missing simple putts. There's no control to the 24-year-old's game, as he continues to battle mental demons that have seemingly appeared since the turn of 2013.

British fans have never seen McIlroy play particularly well at the Open Championship, but his Round 1 performance ensures his hopes of capturing the 2013 tournament remain a distant dream. McIlroy shot eight over, his most memorable mistake coming on the 15th, where he putted a ball off the green and into a bunker.

Ernie Els

Although he is the current British Open champion, Ernie Els remains an outside bet for the ongoing competition. The 43-year-old will be content with his Round 1 score of 74, but he remains a lofty eight shots off Zach Johnson, who fired a terrific five-under 66.

Els grabbed victory at Muirfield in 2002 during the aforementioned Woods breakdown and should be looking to maintain pace with the top guys. He is aiming to become the fifth player in 50 years to win back-to-back British Open crowns, but a double bogey on the 16th hole and birdie on the 18th saw him fail to reach par for the day.

With Johnson striding so powerfully ahead, and guys such as Miguel Angel Jimenez in fine form, Els' slightly slow start puts him under immense pressure to start hitting eagles in Round 2.

Nick Faldo

Only the most optimistic golfing fans expect 56-year-old Faldo to compete at Muirfield. The legendary Englishman emerged victorious on the course in 1987 and 1992, but his Round 1 form ensures he is nothing more than a novelty inclusion this year.

Faldo immediately put himself under pressure with two bogeys. Although he scored a birdie and three pars across the next four holes, the veteran shot disappointing double bogeys on the 14th and 17th. Despite his age, nostalgic viewers have the the right to expect a tighter game from Faldo as the championship progresses.

Round 2 is sure to produce more casualties. While Els and Faldo will be confident of improving their stroke, McIlroy simply cannot afford to continue playing with an uncharacteristic recklessness. Right now, there is no way the Northern Irishman is going to extend the British summer of sporting success.