“I still drove the ball great and got in the positions that you need to, but short-sided myself a couple of times, hit a couple of loose shots with my wedges and could not get a putt to drop,” said McIlroy, who had carded an approximate 62 in Wednesday’s pro-am.

Playing partner Harrington fared considerably better than McIlroy. The three-time major winner returned a two-under-par 69, despite an 18th hole bogey.

Speaking to Cork’s New RedFM, Harrington said:

“69 does no harm, it’s there or thereabouts. There are opportunities for any player to go low out there. The wind is in a very favourable direction.”

“If I back it up with some good scores, (it) will not rule me out”, he continued.

However, Harrington’s two-under was still five shots off the clubhouse target set by Finland’s Mikko Ilonen, who carded eight birdies and just one bogey, to establish a new course record of 64.

Finland’s Mikko ilonen, currently three clear at the top

“On our 10th hole, the first hole, I made a mess out of it,” said Ilonen. “I hit a big drive, middle of the fairway with sand wedge and I walk off with a five.

“Luckily I didn’t get too angry with it and I just get going and kept hitting greens and kept giving myself chances. Luckily in the end I made a few putts. I didn’t feel so good with the putter today but in the end, it started feeling good.”

Ilonen remains three clear of the field with Eduordo Molinari and Matthew Baldwin also in the clubhouse, both on four-under.

It’s also been a very successful day for Irish amateur Gavin Moynihan who sits in the clubhouse at two-under-par.

Best of the Irish on the course at the moment is Kevin Phelan, also at two-under.

Paul McGinley and Peter Lawrie teed off at 1pm and 1.10pm respectively, both are currently on one-under.