The opening round of the Amgen Irish Open at The K Club delivered all the drama, tension, and excitement that golf fans have come to expect from this storied event. With massive galleries lining the fairways and a field packed with European and international stars, the first day’s action on September 4, 2025, set the stage for a thrilling tournament ahead.
Spain’s Nacho Elvira seized the early spotlight, carding a flawless, bogey-free six-under-par 66 to claim the clubhouse lead after the morning wave. Elvira’s round was a masterclass in consistency, as he navigated the challenging K Club layout without a single misstep, putting himself a shot clear of a tightly bunched chasing pack that included Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger, England’s Dan Brown, and France’s Adrien Saddier, all at five-under.
But much of the attention, as always, was focused on home favorites and major champions Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Pádraig Harrington. For McIlroy, the day was a tale of promise and frustration. The reigning Masters champion and world number two came into the week as a favorite, buoyed by his runner-up finish here last year. He started with a bang, drilling a monster 33-foot birdie putt on the 11th—his second hole of the day—and quickly followed it up with another birdie on the 13th. McIlroy took full advantage of the par-fives, racking up birdies on the 16th, 18th, and again at the fourth hole as he made the turn at three-under-par.
However, the momentum didn’t last. After a wayward drive on the second hole led to a bogey, McIlroy’s round began to unravel. He dropped further shots at the seventh and eighth holes, and a final birdie putt at the last cruelly lipped out, leaving him to sign for a one-under-par 71. The finish was made even more exasperating by the circumstances: McIlroy’s group, which included South African Thriston Lawrence and Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan, was put on the clock by tournament officials for slow play after losing ground to the group ahead, led by Shane Lowry.
"Honestly, I felt a little rushed out there for the last 12 holes," McIlroy said in his post-round comments. "We got put on the clock pretty early, and then the first official went away, and then we were put on the clock for the last three holes to try to make time up. And it’s hard because you feel a bit rushed. You’re playing some tough holes and our group has to deal with a lot more than any other group on the course."
McIlroy didn’t mince words about the challenges his group faced, citing the need to wait for large crowds and camera crews as a factor that slowed their pace. "There’s a lot more going on with our group than with any of the other groups on the course. And sometimes I feel like they have to give us a little bit of leeway and use a bit of common sense." He added, "It’s happened to me quite a lot before in these sorts of big groups when I come back to Europe to play, and I just let it get me a little bit." Despite the late stumble, McIlroy found positives in his game: "Everything was quite good. I think if I had parred the last three holes, I would have felt pretty good about the round. But letting two shots go there in the last three holes was a bit disappointing, but certainly encouraged by how I played, and some of the shots that I saw."
While McIlroy was left ruing what might have been, Shane Lowry provided a bright spot for the Irish faithful. The Clara native, who was named to the European Ryder Cup team earlier in the week, fired three birdies down the stretch to post an impressive three-under-par 69, placing him inside the top 10 and just three shots off the lead. Lowry’s card featured four birdies and just a single bogey, which came early in the round after a missed three-footer for par on the 14th. He quickly rebounded with a superb eagle putt on the par-five 18th, setting up a tap-in birdie, and then added birdies at the fourth and sixth holes. A closing 13-foot birdie putt at the last brought a roar from the home crowd and capped a resilient performance.
Reflecting on his round, Lowry told RTÉ Sport, "I played pretty nice. I was one-over thru eight, but I had to remind myself that I was hitting the ball well and I was giving myself chances, I just made a sloppy bogey on one hole. Other than that, I obviously finished nice, but I feel like I played really nice today, gave myself some nice chances, hit the ball well, and I holed a couple of putts at the end which was really nice."
The day proved more challenging for veteran Pádraig Harrington. The three-time major winner struggled on the greens, making only one birdie and finishing with a two-over-par 74. Harrington remained upbeat despite the tough start, joking, "I’m glad I’m not doing it for a living. Yeah, it was pretty frustrating. I missed a short one on the first green, and all day I couldn’t get the ball in the hole. So tough a day like that. I just didn’t create any momentum. But it’s not the end of the world. As I said, I was happy I hit it quite nicely and saw a lot of good, positive signs. Hit loads of good putts. I just wasn’t able to get the reads right."
Elsewhere among the Irish contingent, Seamus Power was one-under after 15 holes, Tom McKibbin two-under after 16, and Alex Maguire impressed with a three-under mark after his front nine. The international field also saw Brooks Koepka at one-under, Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald at two-over, and Tyrrell Hatton at two-under, keeping the leaderboard packed and the competition fierce.
As the first round wrapped up, the leaderboard remained fluid, with several players yet to complete their rounds. Manuel Elvira, Nacho’s fellow Spaniard, was also at six-under and still on the course, threatening to join or surpass his compatriot at the top. With the action ongoing and the course playing tough but fair, fans can expect more twists and turns as the tournament unfolds.
The opening day at The K Club has already delivered its share of storylines: a leaderboard packed with talent, home favorites battling nerves and expectations, and a debate over slow play that’s sure to spark conversation in the coming days. As the Irish Open continues, all eyes will be on whether McIlroy can chase down the leaders, if Lowry can build on his strong start, and which new names might emerge from the pack. One thing’s for sure—this tournament is just heating up, and there’s plenty of golf left to play.
