Updated 18:20

RORY MCILROY SHOT a blistering 63 in the first round of the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio on Thursday. His second round went considerably worse.

The Northern Irishman, who won the European PGA at Wentworth last Sunday, was +7 for his front nine after hitting the turn in 43 strokes. He was -1 coming home to card a score of 78.

The opening holes caused pure, scorecard carnage. Starting on the 10th tee, McIlroy bogeyed his first hole before steadying the ship with a par and a birdie on the par three 12th. The double bogeys then arrived thick and fast.

He flubbed a pitching wedge approach on 15, leading to some colour commentary from the American broadcast team: “Oh, he’s chunked that.”

He found a green-side bunker on the par three 16th but stopped the rot with a stunning chip-in from 32-feet.

Sanity prevailed on the back nine  as McIlroy carded two birdies and six pars. The only glitch was a bogey on five [his 14th hole of the day].  He lies on -3 and will comfortably make the cut but is already five shots adrift of Paul Casey [-8 after four holes in his second round].

– First published at 17:10

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