Open favourite Rory McIlroy had a nightmare start to his bid to win the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush after a quadruple-bogey eight at the first.

Northern Ireland’s big hope for a home winner could not have begun in worse fashion, having hit his tee shot out of bounds.

PA looks at just how badly it went, shot by shot.

1 – McIlroy takes a two-iron off the tee for safety but tugs it left and it lands five feet out of bounds having hit and damaged the mobile phone of a spectator.

2 – Penalty stroke

3 – The Northern Irishman reloads but his second attempt off the tee, again with an iron, finishes in the left rough

4 – Hits a shot from 155 yards into a bush to the left of the green and is forced to call an unplayable lie

Rory McIlroy takes a drop of the first hole at Royal Portrush
Rory McIlroy takes a drop on the first hole at Royal Portrush (David Davies/PA)

5 – Penalty stroke

6 – Chips to eight feet

7 – Misses with a putt which drifts to the right of the hole

The Open Championship 2019 – Day One – Royal Portrush Golf Club
Rory McIlroy reflects on his disastrous start to the Open (David Davies, PA)

8 – Taps in the return putt for a quadruple-bogey eight