McIlroy in the mix, stands by Ryder Cup comments

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Rory McIlroy shot 3-under 69 in Round 1 of the Irish Open while playing with Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie.

BALTRAY, Ireland (AP) -- A day after describing the Ryder Cup as a mere "exhibition," Rory McIlroy played alongside European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie in the first round of the Irish Open.

McIlroy said he stood by his comments after shooting a 3-under 69 on Thursday.

"It's a great spectacle for golf but an exhibition at the end of the day and it should be there to be enjoyed," he said Wednesday. "I'm sure it's a great experience but in the big scheme of things it's not that important an event for me."

Montgomerie, a longtime European Ryder Cup star who is captain for the 2010 event at Celtic Manor in Wales, said the two did not discuss the matter during Thursday's round.

"He'll understand what it's all about when he's part of it," Montgomerie said.

After two early bogeys, the 20-year-old McIlroy had a run of five birdies to finish three shots off the lead.

McIlroy made his breakthrough by winning this year's Dubai Desert Classic. He then played seven tournaments in the United States, getting five top-20 finishes. His best performance came at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing 2 and 1 to eventual champion Geoff Ogilvy.

"The seven weeks I played over there, it was a great experience," he said. "I played great at the Match Play, really well at The Honda Classic and Doral."

McIlroy missed the cut at the last of his seven U.S. events, THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

"I just fell away a bit. I was quite tired," he said.

McIlroy plans just three more events this year in America, two majors and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

"I'm really glad to be back in Europe and playing on the European Tour, and the first event back is in Ireland, a great one for myself," he said.

He plans to play in Europe all summer.

"I feel more comfortable out here," he said.