A tale of two 9s: Caddie pep talk helps McIlroy rebound from horrific start

Scrolling through Twitter after Rory McIlroy's opening nine holes at Royal Birkdale, one might think the energetic star's career was teetering on the edge.

Sitting 5-over after six holes, it seemed his stay on the English coast would be brief, but then he showed the world why he's among the best in the game with a sizzling back nine.

Here are four quotes from his post-round press conference that perfectly describe McIlroy's roller coaster of a day:

'I was thinking, 'Geez, here we go again.''

McIlroy's recent play has been among the worst of his storied career, as he missed three of his last four cuts, including both the Irish and Scottish Opens, coming into this week. His odds to win at Royal Birkdale plummeted from 12-1 to 20-1 heading into play, and his backers couldn't have been pleased with his starts, as he bogeyed five of the first six holes. That 5-over-par mark left him near the bottom of the 156-man field.

Putting has been McIlroy's biggest problem in recent weeks, but it was his long game that left him during the disastrous opening stretch. The 28-year-old hit just 2-of-7 fairways and 3-of-9 greens on the first nine holes - numbers most would find unbelievable for the prodigious talent from Northern Ireland.

It was the sixth tee, at roughly the same time most were penning his obituary for this year's Open Championship, that caddie J.P. Fitzgerald hit his player with a stone-cold question that snapped him out of it.

'You're Rory McIlroy, what the (expletive) are you doing?'

After Fitzgerald reminded McIlroy on the sixth tee who the heck he is, he promptly bogeyed the par 4, and a turnaround didn't seem likely. It was on the eighth hole that we first saw life from the four-time major winner, as he holed a lengthy par putt to keep him at 5-over. After parring the ninth hole as well, he made the turn at that number, and seemed well on his way to an inflated opening 18 to virtually guarantee another missed cut.

Then McIlroy showed why Fitzgerald's question just a few holes before was so fitting.

'I'll go to bed tonight just thinking of those last 12 holes and try to emulate that tomorrow.'

After parring the 10th, McIlroy quickly birdied the par-4 11th to get back to 4-over. From there, he finished his assault on the back nine, making four birdies to finish with an eventful 71. The par 5s were no match for his incredible length, as he picked up birdies on both. The exclamation point was a deep birdie putt on the difficult 18th, when he found the center of the cup, celebrating with a "Tiger-esque fist pump."

That closing stretch certainly gives McIlroy hope heading into Round 2, something he feels good about after learning what's ahead Friday.

'With the weather we are expecting tomorrow, I feel like I'm still in this golf tournament.'

Royal Birkdale is expected to show its teeth Friday, with wind and rain in the forecast. Precipitation is expected for the entire day, with a total of 10-15 mm expected by nightfall, and winds should gust over 30 mph at times.

Difficult conditions should see scores balloon throughout the day, and if McIlroy can post a solid number in the morning, he could be right back in the tournament heading into the weekend.