Rory McIlroy hasn't undergone the intense scrutiny Tiger Woods endured during his tenure as the world's No. 1 golfer, but it's getting there. McIlroy missed the cut at the Honda Classic in Florida and finished the first round of WGC-Cadillac Championship with a 1-over-par 73, 11 strokes behind tournament leader J.B. Holmes.
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McIlroy had to rally over his closing nine holes to do so.
"I guess I realize what's expected of me," he said (via ESPN). "I expect a lot from myself, but you know, shooting 1-over-par out there today isn't too bad. It's obviously not what I wanted, but no reason to panic and no reason to be alarmed. Just go out tomorrow [Friday] and put some red numbers on the board and try and get myself back in it."
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McIlroy also noted: "Four rounds ago, I was winning a tournament."
More annoyed than upset, McIlroy understands the ups and downs that come with the sport.
"It is very good on the range and it is very good in normal play when I'm not playing in a tournament," he added. "Then, I've got a card in my hand the last couple weeks and it just hasn't quite been there. I don't feel like it's far away. That's the frustrating thing."
"It obviously is still very early days in the season. I feel pretty comfortable with my game. It's just a matter of going out there and being able to show it rather than just on the range and at home."
Tied for 27th, McIlroy will open Round 2 with a tee time of 12:39 p.m. ET.
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