McKibbin 'disappointed' after opening 73 at Troon

Northern Ireland's Open Championship debutant Tom McKibbin's opening two-over-par 73 near him only 4 disconnected nan early clubhouse gait astatine Royal Troon but nan 21-year-old confessed to being "a small disappointed" pinch his performance.

After a dropped changeable astatine nan second, McKibbin birdied nan 3rd and eighth to move successful 1 nether but past suffered bogeys connected nan 11th, 12th and astir disappointingly of all, nan par-five 16th.

"I didn't play great," said nan Northern Irishman, who came into this week 10th successful nan DP World Tour rankings aft a accordant run which included a play-off conclusion astatine nan KLM Open past month.

"I sewage disconnected to a bully start, a dependable commencement and past nan backmost nine, evidently nan harder nine, I struggled a small spot coming successful but wide it was OK and I don’t deliberation it’s excessively acold away."

After making his awesome title debut astatine past month's US Open, McKibbin said he didn't acquisition immoderate pre-round nerves but admitted having to alteration his planned strategy connected nan first tee amid breezy conditions had been a small disconcerting.

"I thought going to nan first spread from nan believe tee, 'it’s only a 4 robust disconnected nan first tee' and it turned retired nan upwind was a different guidance and I had to deed a 2 robust which isn’t really my favourite nine to beryllium hitting disconnected nan first.

"But I wasn’t excessively nervous. I’ve deed loads of first tee shots earlier truthful conscionable trying to make different first tee shot."

After "scrambling it well" connected nan beforehand 9 to scope nan 10th nether par, McKibbin said he knew nan 2nd half of his information was going to beryllium tougher but was near furious by his bogey connected 16.

"Very, very irritated astatine that. I could usage a fewer bad words for that 1 but conscionable sewage to study from that.

"With that upwind down disconnected nan left, I thought it mightiness person been a small spot easier than nan believe rounds but I conscionable didn’t play astonishing coming in," added McKibbin, whose increasing stature successful nan athletics will beryllium emphasised by him being tourney big astatine adjacent week's NI Open European Challenge Tour arena astatine Galgorm Castle successful his autochthonal Northern Ireland.