O'Meara Reels in the Years

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Mark O'Meara urged the younger generation of players to stop whining after he rolled back the years on the first day of the Open Championship.

While the likes of Ian Poulter and Phil Mickelson hit out at the Muirfield course, the 1998 champion defied the hot, dry and fast conditions to return a superb four-under 67.

The 56-year-old raced to the turn in five under, although he gave three shots back before responding with an eagle at the 17th.

"I'm not saying that I haven't complained or gotten upset on the golf course, but I'm not a big fan of guys that get out there and whine a lot," said O'Meara.

"I mean, I just don't see any reason for it, especially today's generation. They're so talented, the players today, and they're playing for so much money.

"To be at the top level of whatever sport you're in, that requires some responsibility. That aspect of it I think players should be more aware of and players need to hopefully conduct themselves in the right manner on the golf course.

"When they don't, it does bother me to be honest."

O'Meara felt his experience had been crucial to negotiating the tough East Lothian links, and he insisted he had played on far tougher courses over his stellar career.

"I've seen the most horrendous conditions you can think about playing golf in," added O'Meara, making his 28th Open appearance.

"I've stood on holes where I could barely hold onto the club and it's freezing, raining, sleeting and I can't put my umbrella up. To me that's way more miserable than what we had out there.

"I thought it was tough, it was challenging, but unfair? I say no. If they think it's that way, then they need to look at the old man and say, 'How did he do it that way?' They should be able to play in these conditions.

"I realise I'm 56, but I also realise that I've won the Open Championship and I also know that links golf is a little bit different than playing in the Masters, it's a little bit different than playing in the US Open, it's a little different than a PGA.

"Experience I think plays a big factor in how guys play."

O'Meara insists he is capable of landing a third major title after giving himself an excellent platform to build on ahead of an early second-round tee time.

He said: "Do I think I can win? When I play like I did today, yeah, I think I can. I didn't feel like I was 56 years old out there, I felt like I was 32.

"I know I haven't won a lot in the last 10, 11 years of my career, but I've been close a lot. And I know that sometimes if you just keep getting close, sooner or later they're going to open the door.

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McIlroy Opens Muirfield on 79

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Rory McIlroy's season continued on a downward spiral as he almost failed to break 80 in the first round of the Open Championship at Muirfield.

The world No 2 was at odds with his swing and his confidence, blaming "silly mental errors" for a woeful performance that leaves him with a mountain to climb to be around for the weekend.

The two-time major winner dropped shots at the fourth and fifth, but he clawed a shot back at the seventh before his all-round game unravelled after the turn.

McIlroy bogeyed 10 and 11 and took six at the par-four 12th, and although he converted a nice approach to four feet at the next, he made another six at the 15th after his putt from the front fringe rolled 20 feet past the pin and into a rear bunker.

"I don't know what you can do," said McIlroy, who has recorded only one top-five finish since his highly-publicised switch to Nike at the turn of the year.

"You've just got to try and play your way out of it. But it's nothing to do with technique. It's all mental out there. And then I just need to concentrate, obviously.

"But sometimes I feel like I'm walking around out there and I'm unconscious. I just need to try to think more. I'm trying to focus and trying to concentrate.

"But I can't really fathom it at the minute and it's hard to stand up here and tell you guys what's really wrong.

"I felt like I had made a lot of progress but then you shoot a round like this and you go back to the drawing board. I'm definitely under-thinking on the golf course, maybe over-thinking it off of it.

"I feel like I got off to a decent start, made a couple of silly mental errors on the fourth and fifth, a good two on seven and had a chance to get back to even par on nine. The start of the back nine was not very good.

"Going left of the pin on 12, when I had no right to be going anywhere near that pin, that's just thoughtless. It's just so brain dead.

"Seriously, I feel like I've been walking around out there like that for the last couple of months. I'm trying to get out of it. I just don't quite know why.

"I felt like I struck the ball okay. So as long as I can somewhat get my mind in a better place, I can go out there and try and shoot a good score on Friday.

"I want to try to be here for the weekend. But the thing that I need to do is just go out there and freewheel it and try and make birdies and try and play with that little bit of whatever it is I have usually.

"That's what I've to try and go out and do, even though it's going to be tough to make birdies out there obviously."

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R&A to Examine Male Only Issue - Dawson

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The chairman of the Royal & Ancient does not believe male-only clubs damage the image of the sport.

On the eve of the Open at Muirfield, Peter Dawson says the R&A will examine the issue after the tournament has finished and admits the organisation is finding it "difficult" to deal with.

Rory McIlroy expressed his dissatisfaction over the membership policy at the club, while Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond is among the political figures who won't attend the event, describing the rules as "indefensible in the 21st century".

At Wednesday's news conference, a day before the start of the championship, Dawson faced questions about membership at Muirfield and two other clubs in the tournament rotation, Troon and Royal St George's.

Dawson said: "In our view they don't do anyone any harm and we think the right of freedom of association is important. And we've explained our view that we think they have no material adverse effect on participation.

"On the other hand, the media are, with seemingly boundless energy, I think, and enthusiasm, giving out the message that this is an issue and that such clubs should be condemned to extinction, and we shouldn't be using one to stage The Open Championship. And we understand that view, too.

"We've got politicians posturing, we've got interest groups attacking the R&A, attacking The Open and attacking Muirfield. To be honest, our natural reaction is to resist these pressures, because we actually don't think they have very much substance.

"But I'd like to stress we're not so insular as to fail to recognise the potential damage that campaigns like this can do to The Open Championship.

"And it is our Championship Committee's responsibility to do what is best for The Open and to maximise the benefits which The Open brings, not just to golf, but also to the local area. And, by the way, in huge funding for women's golf."

Tiger Woods refused to be drawn into the debate on Tuesday, while McIlroy said players had not been advised to avoid the subject this week.

"I haven't been advised either way," the world No 2 said. "I just think it's something that a lot of guys don't want to get themselves into because it's quite a controversial issue. It's something that shouldn't happen these days. It's something that we shouldn't even be talking about.

"Obviously it's an issue in some golf clubs. But in terms of life in general, I think men and women are treated equally for the most part these days. And that's the way it should be."

Sky Sports golf expert Denis Pugh was another to voice his concerns and said: "It's a fantastic golf course and it's good for the Open but it's inconceivable to come to somewhere where there's a ban on anyone.

"This is called the Open not the 'closed' and I'm not sure I'll be able to explain to my wife she's not allowed in certain areas! It's very strange. It's indefensible and it won't continue for many years. Golf doesn't need this because we've got a great tournament ahead."

Not everybody is against the single gender policy with support, perhaps surprisingly, coming from the chief of the Ladies' Golf Union.

"I don't think it has any affect," Shona Malcolm, CEO of the union, told Sky Sports News.

"We can see both sides of the story but we have affiliated ladies only golf clubs and they are very keen to maintain the status quo."

With around 3,000 golf clubs in the UK, Malcolm said that 1% of these had single gender membership policies.

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McGinley Praises Mickelson Preparation

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Paul McGinley believes Phil Mickelson has shown the world of golf the best way to prepare for The Open Championship.

The American has given himself a huge confidence boost ahead of next week's major by winning the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart in conditions that are likely to be similar to those he will experience at Muirfield.

Mickelson said afterwards that the experience of playing links golf the week before The Open was "valuable" to his hopes of winning a fifth major, especially playing in the final-day wind after a fairly benign start to the event.

And Ryder Cup captain McGinley, working as an analyst for Sky Sports, hopes more players will now see the value in playing competitive golf at the Scottish Open.

He said: "That little snippet of his interview is hopefully going to be a selling point for a stronger field to come back and play, not just next year but in future years to come.

"We've said all week about grass players at Wimbledon preparing in a small tournament. It's not that I'm trying to minimise this tournament, but it is a great way of getting used to links golf.

"Hopefully we'll have a much stronger field next year and I look forward to going to Aberdeen.

"Links is a completely different game of golf to an inland course and, for me, the best way to prepare for a tournament is to get the competitive juices flowing.

"As Phil said, he's learned a lot. It's not just the fact that he's won, but he's also learned things he has to work on as well."

Mickelson enjoyed the winner's share of the £3million prize pot after beating South Africa's Branden Grace at the first play-off hole.
And McGinley - who himself finished tied for 24th after shooting eight-under par over the four rounds - said he was surprised that so few of the sport's star names had opted to take part.

"I've really enjoyed the week," he added.

"I'm one of the guys who really likes this golf course at Castle Stuart. I love playing in the wind and in the links.

"You mention about having more American players next year and I hope that will be the case, but certainly we want more European players as well. I really do feel it's a good way of preparing for The Open Championship.

"You're playing for a lot of money in a huge tournament in the home of golf in Scotland."

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Rory Responds to Faldo Remarks

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Rory McIlroy hit back at Nick Faldo on Wednesday after the six-times major winner told the young Northern Irishman earlier in the week that he had to devote more time to golf.

McIlroy has had a troubled season after changing clubs at the start of the year following the signing of a mega-bucks deal with Nike and he was clearly irritated by Faldo's comments.

"He said I should be at the course nine to five," the world number two told reporters on the eve of the 142nd British Open at Muirfield.

"I actually was on the range at 6.15 (yesterday) and got out of the gym at 6:15, a 12-hour day compared to his eight-hour day.

"Nick should know how hard this game is at times and he's been in our position before. He should know how much work that we all put into it."

Englishman Faldo, who turns 56 on Thursday and is playing in the Open this week for the first time in three years, hinted on Monday that McIlroy was spending more time than he should on off-the-course activities.

"You have a window of opportunity, that's my only words of wisdom to Rory," said the veteran who now works as a full-time television commentator. "You have say a 20-year window as an athlete - concentrate on golf, nothing else.

"Hopefully you have another 40 years to enjoy it so just concentrate on your golf."

McIlroy acknowledged that Faldo was not trying to unduly criticise him.

"He probably said a million other things in that interview," said the 24-year-old. "He obviously said something about me and that's the thing that's been picked up by everyone.

"I know how these things go, I know he wasn't trying to get on my case at all. He was just offering words of advice in some way.

"(But) I think he has to remember how hard this game can be at times."

McIlroy is without a victory since the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November, a win that made sure he ended the year as the number one golfer in Europe and the United States.

"I think the game's like life, you're going to go through highs and you're going to go through lows. It's just about trying to work your way out of the lows," said the twice major winner.

"I haven't played my best golf this year but I've showed signs that it is there. It's just a matter of trying to do that more often.

"Sooner or later it will turn around and I'll play the golf that everyone knows I'm capable of and the golf I know that's capable of winning major championships," said McIlroy.

McIlroy has left no stone unturned in his bid to prepare for this week's event at Muirfield.

"I played 18 holes last Monday and then 27 on Tuesday," he explained. "Then I played 18 this Sunday, 18 on Monday, 18 yesterday and I'll play nine today.

"That's a lot of holes. I've also got a new driver in the bag...it's a different head shape, more of a pear shape, but it encourages the club face to close a little bit more.

"My bad drive this year has been losing it to the right so this is encouraging the club face to square up on impact and obviously I'm not getting that right shot anymore which is a huge plus."

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