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 first round of the Irish Open at Trump Doonbeg on Thursday, September 10, 2026, to take the early lead. Returning champion Rory McIlroy struggled through the challenging weather but survived the opening round, finishing four strokes behind Niemann. McIlroy will need to make up significant ground over the remaining rounds to defend his title.