Rory McIlroy said that he was relieved to still to be within touching distance of Martin Kaymer, the first-round leader, after admitting that he was far short of his best at Port Royal Golf Course yesterday.

McIlroy, the Open Championship and PGA Championship winner this year, started brightly enough until a pair of three-putt bogeys approaching the turn broke his rhythm, leaving him trailing Kaymer by four shots and Bubba Watson by three.

Unsurprisingly, given his world No 1 status, McIlroy firmly believes that he can chase down the metronomical Kaymer, providing he can iron out the creases in his game.

“There were a few sloppy shots and I left myself with some difficult positions,” said McIlroy, who was three under after seven holes.

“I wasn’t 100 per cent on, that’s for sure. I started pretty well and then the two bogeys on the 8th and 9th sort of took the wind out of my sails a little bit, and I just found it hard to get going after that.

“At one point in the round, it felt like Martin was leaving us all behind, but I had a couple of birdies on the back nine, so it was OK.

“I’m still in it and if I get off to a good start tomorrow, you never know what can happen.”

While the Grand Slam, the PGA of America’s curtain call for 2014, undoubtedly has an element of the exhibition about it, McIlroy insisted that there was still plenty of competitive rivalry on display.

“It’s a very relaxed atmosphere out there,” he said. “But we’re still concentrating, still trying to play good golf and ultimately trying to win.

“But, yeah, it’s more relaxed. You chat a little bit more and it’s just a nice friendly four-ball out there.”

Watson, who shot a four under par, echoed McIlroy’s sentiments regarding the friendly atmosphere between the elite foursome, particularly Kaymer, who was perhaps even more jovial than normal considering his stellar round.

“We don’t really banter with each other too much, although Martin did a little bit with me,” Watson said.

“Every time he outdrove me he said, ‘Look, I outdrove you again’ and I told him ‘I’m just trying to hit the fairway!’

“We’re just out there talking about when we’re playing next, how is the family doing, what we’re doing for Christmas; things like that.

“It’s just basic small talk, really, because we’re all friends. No matter what’s going on out there, we’re all friends and pulling for each other.”