Mexican Carlos Ortiz produced a late surge to grab a share of the lead with Elvis Smylie and Ryan Fox after a six-under-par 65 in Thursday’s opening round of the Australian Open, while Rory McIlroy struggled in blustery conditions at Royal Melbourne, finishing with a one-over 72.
Smylie, 23, son of former Australian tennis player Elizabeth Smylie, delighted home fans with seven birdies against a lone bogey. New Zealand’s Fox matched the leading score with eight birdies and two bogeys.
“The winds are a big factor today,” Smylie said.
“I felt like I did a good job at using my creativity and my imagination with flighting a lot of really nice shots and then always making sure I’m leaving it on the right side of the hole.
“I embrace days like today. I think I belong and I know that and I believe that, so I’m just happy that I’m able to showcase that on a stage like this one.”
Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen carded a four-under 67 to sit two strokes back alongside France’s Clement Charmasson and Scotland’s Cameron Adam.
McIlroy, a five-times major winner and 2013 Stonehaven Cup champion at Royal Sydney, managed five birdies but was undone by six bogeys in his first return to Royal Melbourne since 1991, disappointing the large crowds who came to see him.
“It was a wonderful atmosphere ... really cool to see how many people were lining the fairways and framing the greens,” McIlroy said, noting how tricky the conditions were.
“The greens are getting firm. It was a good thing they didn’t cut them today, it would’ve been unplayable ... (I) felt like I could have shot under par or shot something in the 60s, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s going to get too far away today.
“So I limited the damage and hopefully conditions are a little better over the next few days.”
The 36-year-old Northern Irishman admitted his putting let him down after faltering with bogeys in the first, fourth, seventh, 11th, 12th and 16th holes.
“I need to putt better,” said McIlroy, who blew hot and cold throughout the day.
“Holed some good ones. I think I was better from outside 25 feet than I was from inside five, so work on that a little bit. I made enough birdies, but I just need to limit the mistakes a little bit.
“It was good to get one round done and not feel like I’m too far back.”
Australian PGA Championship winner David Puig failed to carry momentum from his triumph last week, carding a three-over 74 to sit well down the leaderboard in joint 105th place.
Australian Cam Smith, the 2022 Open champion, finished joint 26th with a 70.
This year’s Australian Open, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, has reverted to a traditional format after Golf Australia scrapped the groundbreaking mixed men’s, women’s and all-abilities competition introduced in 2022.