Rory McIlroy shoots during the first round of The Open Championship but remains well behind the early leader after trouble on the greens. Both outlets report that McIlroy’s putting problems shape his round, leaving him approximately seven strokes off the first-round lead. Despite the gap, the coverage indicates he continues to compete in the tournament rather than being eliminated or withdrawing, with the main issue identified as putting rather than overall ball striking. The reports focus on McIlroy’s struggle to convert putts and how that affects his position on the leaderboard by the end of the day’s opening round. No additional details about his score breakdown, course conditions, or the identity of the current leader are provided in the supplied excerpts. Overall, the consistent theme across sources is that McIlroy’s performance is hindered by putting, resulting in a first-round finish that places him roughly seven shots behind the top spot as play concludes for the opening session.