McIlroy-mania, but Rory starts The Open badly

With the words of the armchair pundits ringing in his ears and with a throng of fans following his every shot at Sandwich in Kent, golfing wunderkid Rory McIlroy made a less than stellar start to the 2011 Open.
 
His bid to become the youngest Open champion since 1893 started badly when he bogeyed the opening hole to go one over par. After three holes he found himself two over after another bogey, and he then blew birdie chances on the fifth and seventh holes before clawing a shot back on the eighth.
 
Before the tournament started he had been hailed as the new Tiger Woods by most commentators, while Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail went as far as to compare him to a  "young Beatle".
 
That soubriquet appeared well-chosen after a crush at the 18th green during practice on Wednesday which forced McIlroy to stop signing autographs. It was, said Samuel: "Exactly the kind of frenzied scene he was hoping to avoid."
 
But according to Peter Dixon in the Times it was "a sign of what lies in store" that "brought home the mania surrounding him and he was surprised and a little disturbed".
 
James Lawton in the Independent commented that McIlroy was "creating his own world, his own space. It only seems fragile when you look around for the one that the Tiger used to inhabit".
 
However, none of the Guardian's four golf experts predicted a McIlroy win at the Open, and Lawrence Donegan urged caution. "Contrary to the expectations of his new legion of fans, some of whom might not be entirely aware of just how hard it is to win a major championship, he will not be wearing a Superman cape. Like the other 155 players in the field he will come only with his caddie, his clubs and his talents."
 
And despite the hype that now accompanies the 22-year-old from Holywood, Northern Ireland wherever he goes, that assessment seemed valid after a very ordinary opening eight holes. ·