Rory McIlroy revealed facing "tricky conditions" at the 2026 Australian Open while describing a 'rollercoaster' first round. The Northern Irishman is competing in the DP World Tour event opener at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia.McIlroy was one of the early starters who faced wind gusts coming at almost 40 miles per hour. He tied for 57th with a 1-over par score after carding five birdies and six bogeys in the first round. In the post-round press conference, the 20-time DP World Tour winner was asked to provide an assessment of his day.Rory McIlroy acknowledged the difficulties and further stated how he faced 'tricky' conditions at Royal Melbourne GC. The five-time major champ stated:"It was a rollercoaster day. Every time I got a birdie or two, I got a bogey or two.... It was tricky conditions... I think the tricky thing with this north wind is there's a lot of heavy crosswinds and depending on what you want to do with your shot, that crosswind can hurt it, or it can help it, you want to ride the wind or fight it..."Take a look at the video here:Rory McIlroy also talked about possible ways to avoid the tricky north winds by utilizing the width of the fairways in Royal Melbourne. The golfer from Holywood, Northern Ireland, further outlined how driving a shot into the greens might be beneficial to effectively counter windy conditions.Rory McIlroy praised the crowd despite facing significant challenges in first round of Australian OpenRory McIlroy was also asked in the post-round conference about the expectations regarding his presence at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The reporter also requested that the 2025 Masters champion describe the 'vibe' of being out there alongside Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee.McIlroy praised the Australian crowd for showing up during his tee time in the early morning hours and stated:"I couldn't believe how many people were there at 7 o'clock when we teed off... just absolutely incredible... you know there's events in golf that just mean a little bit more... I think every everyone in Australia takes so much pride and in their National Open..."McIlroy won the Australian Open in 2013, when it was held at the Royal Sydney Golf Club. The two-time PGA Championship winner edged out Adam Scott with a one-stroke margin to lift the Stonehaven Cup for the first time in his career.