CAREDON, Ontario — Masters champion Rory McIlroy rolled out of the RBC Canada opening on Friday, earning the second-highest score in the PGA Tour round of his career.
McIlroy shot an 8-over 78, messing up the fifth hole and scored a square bogey eight with his highest score since filming 78 last year in the first round of British Open. He had 11th, four bogeys and two birdies with double bogeys.
He had 11th, four bogeys and two birdies on Friday, double bogeys.
“Of course, that has something to do with me,” McIlroy said. “You don’t want to shoot high scores like you do today. Still, I clearly felt like I came here with a new driver who thinks that would be good and would solve some issues with the tee, but that wasn’t the case.”
This is the fifth time McIlroy has been trailing only the 10 over 80, filmed in the opening round of the 2018 US Open. That’s his absolute highest score in his main PGA Tour rounds.
In nine overs, Canada’s two open winner was the champion’s 21-stroke on the rainy North Course at TPC Toronto in Osprey Valley. He missed the cut with 12 shots and will not play the weekend in a non-large tour event for the first time since the 2023 Player Championship.
“Obviously, when you go to Oakmont next week, the thing you need to do more than anything is the hit fairway,” McIlroy said. “It’s like looking for the kind of pieces that are still missing from the tee.”
The champion won four birdies at 68 in the morning of the day, starting at 62 years old. He was under 12 and played his first 36 holes without bogeys.
“It’s got a bit firmer, but it’s pretty similar to yesterday,” Champion said. “The fairway I feel was a bit burning up. The Greens are a little bit, but it’s pretty close to what happened yesterday.”
The three-time PGA Tour winner won one of the final spots on the field as it was the eighth replacement on Friday when the commitment was finished.
“I definitely didn’t think I was in,” the Champion said.
Andrew Putnam came in second after 62 without bogeys on the course he was holding the event for the first time. He won his lonely tour title at the 2018 Barracuda Championship.
“I hit a lot of fairways, I hit a lot of good iron shots, and my putter was on fire,” Putnam said. “I did almost everything right. I didn’t make many mistakes.”
After age 61, Danish Sobjorn Olesen, tied with Cristobal del Solar in a first-round lead, came third and third with Canadians Richardley (64) and Nick Taylor (65) and France’s Victor Perez (65).
Taylor won the 2023 event at Oakdale.
“It’s hanging out there,” Taylor said. “Make a birdie at the end was important to get the day off well.”
Del Solar was under 71 years old and 8 years old. Shane Laurie (68) was eight years old, Ryan Fox (66), Jake Knapp (69), Sam Burns (66) and Matteo Manassero (65).
This report used information from ESPN Research and Associated Press.
