Rory McIlroy survives windy opening round, four back of Joaquin Niemann at Irish Open

Joaquin Niemann shot a 65 in difficult, windy conditions during the opening round of the Amgen Irish Open at Trump Doonbeg on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Defending champion Rory McIlroy navigated the challenging weather but sits four strokes behind Niemann after round one. The blustery, rainy conditions made for a tough day for all competitors on the course.