Rory Recovers from Rocky Start

Rory McIlroy recovered from a terrible start at the Memorial Tournament to card a one-under 71 that keeps him in touch with the first-round pacesetters.

The Northern Irishman shot a quadruple-bogey seven on the 12th - his third hole, having started on the 10th - at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

But four birdies and an eagle on the fifth moved McIlroy to one under - two behind the clubhouse leaders.

World number one Luke Donald also shot a 71, while Tiger Woods carded a 70.

McIlroy, who defends his US Open title next month, will be determined to put in a good performance following two consecutive missed cuts at the The Players Championship and the BMW PGA Championship.

The world number two made par in his first two holes before sending his tee shot into the bunker behind the green on the par-three 12th.

McIlroy's next shot sailed into a pond for a penalty stroke before his fourth landed in a bunker. After reaching the green, he then two-putted from 15 feet.

It was a demoralising start to the round but the 23-year-old recovered well, making birdies on the 14th and 15th.

He dropped a shot on the 17th but a birdie and an eagle coming home meant the danger of a third consecutive missed cut receded.

"It wasn't the start that I wanted to get off to, being four over through three holes, especially after the last few weeks," said McIlroy.

"I was just like, 'Here we go again'. But I hung in there well, and I'm proud of myself for the way I fought back. To finish the round under par I thought was a really good effort."

Woods, who has won the tournament four times before, shot a double-bogey six on the 18th - his ninth - but that was the only blemish on his scorecard as four birdies saw him back in the clubhouse on two under.

"It certainly could have been a lot lower, but I'm pleased with the way I hit the golf ball," he said. "I didn't do anything great and I didn't do anything poorly."

Donald, winner of the BMW PGA Championship last time out, also ran up a double bogey on the 18th but three birdies in his round keeps him in contention.

"There are some tougher pins out there and overall I'll take one under and try and play better the next three days," said the Englishman.

With half the field still to head out onto the course, South African Rory Sabbatini, Australian Aaron Baddeley, Argentina's Andres Romero and Blake Adams of the United States are the clubhouse leaders on three under.

Ryder Cup Feel at Benhavis Masters

Philip Walton will tee-off alongside a number of fellow Ryder Cup legends at the Benahavis Senior Masters in Spain on Friday, paired with Gordon Brand Jnr and Tony Johnstone, a she return to the European Senior Tour after playing in the US last week.

1999 Ryder Cup Captain Mark James is also in action and searching for his first win since 2009 as he returns to the venue where he sealed his best result of last year, when he finished tied second behind Mason.

Amongst the local favourites at La Quinta will be the another Ryder Cup star, Manuel Piñero, who designed the course over which the Senior Tour’s third tournament of the season will be played.

The Irish interest also includes 2006 Ryder Cup Vice Captain, Des Smyth, and Denis O'Sullivan.

Carl Mason will be hoping to make it three Benahavis Senior Masters titles in four years when he returns this week to the scene of the most recent of his 25 European Senior Tour victories.

The Englishman has a stunning record at the Benahavis Senior Masters, winning the inaugural tournament in 2009 and then again last October, with a runner-up finish in 2009 sandwiched in between.

With the tournament moved to the much earlier slot in the schedule this year, Mason believes it could be the perfect catalyst to kick-start his tenth season on the Senior Tour.

“Hopefully it will give my season a bit of a boost now, going back to a place where I have done so well and a place where I just have good feelings every time I’m there,” said the Senior Tour’s record title holder.

“I like the place a lot. You get to stay on site in a beautiful hotel and the staff and the people there are really friendly, so I always enjoy myself. I always have good vibes about La Quinta.

“Obviously it has come around a lot quicker this time with the change of date, so hopefully that will be to my advantage. And who knows, if I play like I have done in the past few years here, hopefully I can put myself in with a chance again.”

Mason could not make an impression at the top of the leaderboard at the season-opening Mallorca Open Senior two weeks ago, finishing 27th as Gary Wolstenholme emerged victorious, but the two-time European Tour winner is hoping the work he has put in since will pay off this week.

“I wasn’t too disappointed with my overall game in Mallorca, but I putted poorly and that’s not normally a problem for me so I’ve been working hard on that since,” he said.

“I’m feeling a bit better now after a bit of practice. I think it’s just a lack of tour time and hopefully it will come good in Benahavis.

“I still very much love competitive golf and I miss it during the break,” he continued. “I feel like I’ll be glad to play proper competitive golf because it’s a long break and after another two week break after Mallorca, it makes me even keener to get back playing now.”

Mason has won six times in total on Spanish soil on the Senior Tour and also claimed his maiden European Tour title in the Open de Andalucía in 1994.

The 58 year old will be among a strong Senior Tour field competing for an increased prize fund of €200,000 – a rise of €20,000 from 2011 – for the fourth edition of the tournament on Spain’s Costa del Sol.

Four-time Senior Tour winner Juan Quiros is also in the field, as are his fellow Spaniards José Maria Cañizares, Antonio Garrido and Miguel Angel Martin, who will make his first appearance at the Benahavis Senior Masters having turned 50 earlier this month.

Thornton Gets Going at Celtic Manor

Simon Thornton has passed through the eleventh green in three under par at the ISPS Handa Wales Open, despite dropping a shot at the first, as he recovered to make the turn in 33 strokes and set the pace in the afternoon pairings - just one shot off the clubhouse leader.

England's Lee Slattery established his one shot clubhouse lead during the morning  round at a windy Celtic Manor Resort.

The 33 year old, who qualified for the US Open Championship at Walton Heath on Monday, shot a four under par 67.

That gave Slattery, who won his maiden European Tour title in Madrid last October, an early one stroke clubhouse lead over German Marcel Siem.

“It was very difficult out there," said Slattery. "The wind was strong, I think stronger than anticipated. Just getting off to a good start today, two birdies in the first two holes, made all the difference. It just meant I had something to go for afterwards.”

On his forthcoming trip to America for the US Open, he added: "I'm really looking forward to San Francisco. It'll be my first tournament in America and I'm fixing up trips to the baseball and Alcatraz."

Slattery reached five under before running up a bogey six at the long ninth - his 17th - and at that point was one behind Siem.

However, the in-form Siem then took six on the same hole, pitching into a greenside bunker, and on the 210-yard tenth he came up short which led to another bogey for the man who two years ago led by three going into the final round only for his title challenge to falter.

Siem, with five top-12 finishes under his belt already this season, said: “I’ve been pretty consistent and I played well last week. 

“My coach came after Walton Heath yesterday and did a little bit of work, and I took a lot of confidence from that. It's very, very steady at the moment.”

As the afternoon wave of players got underway New Zealand’s Michael Campbell made a good start to move into a share of third place.

The former US Open Champion, plagued by injuries in recent years and having made only one cut in eight starts this season, raced to two under par with birdies at the 11th and 15th.

He was alongside Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño and Sweden’s Joel Sjöholm, who both signed for 69.

The later starters included four players from the 2010 European Ryder Cup side who won at this venue - England's Ross Fisher, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez and Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari.

Live Scoring - ISPS Handa Wales Open

Wales Open and Closed for Lowry

Shane Lowry announced on Facebook that he was withdrawing from the ISPS Handa Wales Open due to illness.

"Unfortunately had to pull out of the tournament with a viral infection in my throat. So annoying because I felt like my game was coming along nicely but wasn't even nearly 100% today.... " he wrote.

His roiund 1 score card showed there was trouble afoot  after an opening round of 81 strokes at The Celtic manor on Thursday, with a triple and double bogey through holes 12 to 13 - to set him at 10 over par for the day.

Having played at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth through the weekend, and finished 68th, Lowry then travelled to Walton Heath on Monday to chase a place at the Olympic Club in the US Open Qualifier. 

An aggregate 142 was six strokes too many in the end to get one of the 11 automatic places on this occasion. But an early tee off in Wales on Thursday, after the added 36 holes on Monday, may have taken their toll on the Clara man in round 1.

In 2010 Shane qualified for both the Open Championship and the US PGA, on his way to finishing 62nd in the 2010 Race to Dubai, narrowly missing out on a spot in the Dubai World Championship.

In 2011, Shane’s game continued to improve in his final exempt season, as he would have to earn his right to play on the European Tour in 2012, since his 3 season exemption from winning the 2009 Irish Open had ended. 

Lowry would do this with ease, securing 4 top-10’s on his way to finishing 41’st in the 2011 Race to Dubai.

Fallon Leads at Galgorm Castle

Five birdies on his back nine fired Scott Fallon to a two-shot lead at the end of Round One of the Ulster Bank Open at Galgorm Castle on Wednesday.

The London golfer signed for an eight-under-par 64 on the opening day of the event, the fourth of the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour season.

Starting his round on the 10th tee, Fallon opened with a birdie before gaining further shots on the 14th, 15th and 18th. He then proceeded to improve his score by a further five shots on his back nine with a bogey at the second the only blemish on his card.

Philip Ridden (City of Newcastle Golf Club) is Fallon’s closest contender. The 26-year-old turned professional this season and an opening-round of 66 puts him in a great position to make his first cut of the Tour season.

James Hepworth (Ilkley Golf Club) is tied for third with Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes) after carding 67 with the help of an eagle on the ninth. Hepworth was victorious after winning a play off at Galgorm two years ago and is in a strong position ahead of Thursday’s second round.

Whitnell is also five under par, three shots behind the leader. He began his round with a three on the par-four first and didn’t drop a shot on his opening round.

Paul Reed (Bristol and Clifton Golf Club), Gareth Davies (Abbeydale Golf Club), Adam Keogh (Boston West Golf Club) and Alex Belt (The De Vere Club) are all tied for fifth having carded 68 on the opening day.

West Ham United midfielder Gary O’Neil is playing as an amateur in the event and is tied for 63rd after shooting 74.

Round Two gets underway at 7:30am on Thursday with a two-tee start. The Ulster Bank Open is a 54-hole strokeplay event with a field of 164 golfers playing 18 holes on both Wednesday and Thursday. There will then be a cut to the leading 50 players and ties who will play a final 18 holes on Friday.

Entry to the event is free to spectators all week. As well as the golf there is a tented village featuring free children’s golf lessons from Junior Golf Ireland, ecurie25 supercars and Bushmills Distillery among other displays.

McIlroy Plans to Play Golf

Rory McIlroy has explained his decision to play three tournaments in as many weeks ahead of the defence of his US Open crown.

Having missed the cut by at both Sawgrass and Wentworth in his last two outings, McIlroy is opted to cram his schedule with competitive golf rather than spend extra time in practice.

The world number two tees up at this week's Memorial Tournament before heading to Memphis for the FedEx St Jude Classic, with the US Open the following week in San Francisco.

"I just feel like I need some rounds," said McIlroy, who has been grouped with world number one Luke Donald for the first two rounds at Muirfield Village.

"These two-day weeks aren't really that good for me, so I just want to get some competitive rounds in.

"I'm working on a few things, and I feel trying to put them into competition will be the best way for me to prepare going into the US Open.

"When you've been on a run where you've hardly finished outside the top five and then all of a sudden two missed cuts, it's more of a shock than anything else.

"It's something I haven't really had to deal with in a while. I just have to knuckle down and figure it out and get back to the way I was at the start of the year."