Rory McIlroy scared me at The Open and it was all I could think about for the last three days
Terrified Tom McKibbin reckons Rory McIlroy's terrible first-shot shambles in 2019 put the fear into him ahead of The Open.
The Northern Irish kid was joint-leader at one point in the morning before dropping to one-over par.
However, in front of his home crowd, McKibbin was just delighted to get his opening tee-shot away without calamity.
The LIV star had seen countryman McIlroy pull one out of bounds at the start of the 2019 Open and that put dread into him.
McKibbin said: 'I think Rory's made that tee shot a lot scarier. That's all I could probably think about for the last three days.
"I wouldn't say I was too nervous. I just didn't really want to hit that bad of a shot. I was very happy to get it sort of under way, a little bit nervous and a little bit scared of hitting that shot.'
McKibbin was in the group with Padraig Harrington and he also striped it down the first before finishing at four-over par. The two-time Open champion started the tournament off and was given a rapturous ovation.
He laughed about the prospect of welling up as he said: 'Usually when I'm watching a movie on an airplane. Does everybody not well up on airplanes? I think airplanes do that to me. Could be a comedy or something like that. It doesn't have to be that serious!
'I wouldn't say I get too emotional, not like that, no. It it felt like they were there for me, giving me a clap, yeah. I expected the nerves. I didn't expect that. So I did have to adjust myself for that.
'It was very special, I've got to say. It's a great honour to do it. As I said. I really hate the idea of being ceremonial, but I was prepared to take that to do it because it was here. I'm glad I did.
'Just my son was here. He was the only one who managed. I had a few other friends with me, things like that, and just one son. One is enough, I suppose. It was just a nice special moment.'
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