VALUABLE LESSONS were learned by Rory McIlroy on the opening of the British Open, for although the third favourite failed to get everything out of his one-under 69, he is still very much in the tournament after “taking his medicine”.

The 20-year-old was satisfied with his round but it was a far from an easy ride as penalty drops on two occasions were required, such was the severity of the rough in places.

That said, he also managed five birdies and discovered that patience is a virtue when competing at major championships, particularly at the British Open.

“There was a bit of good, a bit of bad and a bit of ugly but overall, I thought I played very solidly,” said McIlroy after his round.

“I had eight threes on my scorecard, which is always good around here. I hit the ball a lot better than I have been for the last week. I struggled at Loch Lomond but found something on the range on Tuesday afternoon.”

The pure ball-striking McIlroy is fast becoming renowned for was in evidence in the early stages when birdies were picked up at the second and seventh to get to two-under.

However, the uncertain nature of links golf was never far from his mind and Turnberry came back to bite at the eighth where McIlroy said he was lucky to run up a double-bogey six after pulling his drive off the tee.

“I took a nine-iron and was just trying to get it up the fairway,” he explained but the ball advanced less than 20 yards. “The ball went in right at my coach Michael Bannon’s feet. He knew where it was, so was down searching for it and when he stood up he was right on top of it.”

Almost five minutes had been spent looking for the ball and McIlroy was preparing for the worst. “I would have had to declare a lost ball and could easily have made an eight or a nine,” added the Holywood star, who took a penalty, played to the front of the green and pitched and putted for six.

He bounced back with a birdie at the next to turn in one-under 34 before another pulled tee shot at the 10th forced a second penalty drop.

He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice in attempting to play out. “Out here you’ve just got to take you medicine, get the ball out (of the rough),” added McIlroy, who was in awe of Tom Watson’s course management and 65 earlier in the day. “I think he’s 39 years older than me so if I can go around Turnberry in 39 years’ time in 65 I’ll be very happy.”

On the closing stretch McIlroy was able to dial up his A-game once more and after a launched drive down 16, he fired a wedge into 15 feet – compared to Graeme McDowell hitting six-iron earlier in the day – to set up his final birdie of the day. He clearly impressed some of the Irish contingent in the large galleries.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Rory in the flesh,” came from one Dublin accent, to which his mate replied: “He’s first class, isn’t he?”

At the 17th McIlroy was on hand to witness arguably the shot of the day when playing partner Retief Goosen was practically down on one knee to play out of a greenside bunker. “I said to Goose, ‘that’s one of the best up and downs I’ve ever seen . . . all that gym work must be paying off’.”

The third member of the group, Anthony Kim, didn’t take his medicine when he ran up a nine at the par four second. The American tried to take on too much and had three attempts from the bunker.

It was a further illustration of how the Turnberry layout must be treated with respect, even in such benign conditions. For McIlroy there was no harm done, rather he has a platform from which to build from.