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<\/p>\nRory McIlroy experienced a self-described “roller coaster” as he slipped seven strokes off the lead after the opening round of the Crown Australian Open.<\/p>\n
McIlroy – making his first appearance since securing the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai for a seventh time – mixed five birdies with six bogeys during a one-over 72 at Royal Melbourne.<\/p>\n
The Masters champion was among the early starters in windy conditions, where gusts reached close to 40 miles per hour at times, with McIlroy seeing an opening-hole birdie cancelled out with back-to-back bogeys over his next two holes.<\/p>\n
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Take a look back at how Rory McIlroy won the Stonehaven Cup with a thrilling victory in 2013 <\/p>\n
McIlroy dropped a shot at the par-three 16th and opened his second nine with a bogey at the first, then saw successive birdies from the second undone by dropped shots at the fourth and par-three seventh.<\/p>\n
“It was a roller coaster day,” McIlroy said. “Every time I got a birdie or two, I got a bogey or two. It wasn’t terrible. I hit it in a couple of bad spots and had a couple of three-putts as well.<\/p>\n
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A look back at Rory McIlroy’s opening-round 72 at Royal Melbourne<\/p>\n
“I limited the damage but I hope the conditions are better tomorrow.”<\/p>\n
Elvis Smylie – the left-handed Australian who won last year’s Australian PGA Championship – was the pick of the morning starters after an opening-round 65, before Carlos Ortiz and Ryan Fox later made it a three-way tie for the early lead.<\/p>\n
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Rory McIlroy reflects on a ‘roller coaster’ opening round at the Crown Australian Open <\/p>\n
Ortiz made five birdies on his front nine and eagled the penultimate hole after his opening-round 65, while Fox mixed eight birdies with two bogeys to also get to six under.<\/p>\n
Scotland’s Cameron Adam is two strokes back in tied-fourth alongside Frenchman Clement Charmasson and Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, while Eddie Pepperell sits three strokes back after an opening-round 68.<\/p>\n
Australia’s Cameron Smith bogeyed two of his final three holes for a one-under 70, with with Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott – both playing alongside McIlroy the first two days – also four shots behind the early leaders.<\/p>\n
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\n Adam Scott of Australia and Min Woo Lee shot 69 (AP Photo\/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)<\/p>\n
“I feel like I did pretty good today, made all the putts I was supposed to make and I probably left a couple out there, but it is what it is,” Smith said.<\/p>\n
The winner of the Australian Open – which is the second event on the DP World Tour season – receives a Masters exemption next year, while the top three finishers not already exempt will qualify for The Open.<\/p>\n
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