TROON, Scotland -- Rory McIlroy barely recognized Royal Troon during the first round of The Open. That's because The Open is supposed to leave you curled in the corner of the clubhouse, muttering incoherently about apple sauce and toy trains.
Instead, McIlroy was muttering about shooting a 2-under-par 69 and about what might have been. Yes, it was his first sub-70 round in a major this season. And yes, it could have been much better, enough to put him atop The Open's iconic yellow scoreboard.
``I knew today was a day where you had to make the most of the conditions, because I don't think we're going to see the course like this for the rest of the week,'' said McIlroy, channeling his inner-Jim Cantore.