Rory McIlroy flops as Justin Thomas takes clubhouse lead at Open Championship

Rory McIlroy faces a major fight to stay in the 152nd Open Championship for the weekend after a disastrous opening round 78 at Royal Troon.

McIlroy recovered from a bogey at the first to reel off six consecutive pars and stay in contention early on.

But he proceeded to find trouble for the rest of his round.

At the par-three eighth hole, nicknamed the Postage Stamp for its small green, McIlroy found a bunker off the tee.

On his first attempt to punch out, the ball trickled back down the slope into the sand.

After taking double bogey there and bogey at hole 10, McIlroy drove out of bounds at the par-four 11th and incurred another double bogey.

Two more dropped shots at 15 and 18 left him on seven over par overall.

"The course was playing tough," McIlroy said. "Conditions were very difficult in a wind that we have not seen so far this week.

"When that happens it presents different options and I didn't adapt well enough to the conditions."

The lead is held by Justin Thomas after the American birdied his final two holes to shoot a three-under 68.

Thomas, a two-time major champion who's struggled in recent seasons, rang up seven birdies to make up two bogeys and a double.

"I feel like everything has been turning the right way, and I've been working on the right things," said Thomas, who's winless since the 2022 PGA Championship.

"Just like I said, I haven't really had much to show for it. That's just how this game works sometimes. But I know that I'm close the way it is, and I'm just going to keep playing and not play for results, just play for my game, and it'll take care of itself."

Alex Noren of Sweden, Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark, Justin Rose of England and Russell Henley posted two-under 69s earlier in the day.

Rose, 43, who had to