Rory McIlroy off the pace at Open de France

Rory McIlroy has ended the first round of the Open de France five shots off the lead after he registered a level-par 71 on Thursday.

The world number four is looking to find some form ahead of next month's Open Championship but he hit four bogeys during a mixed opening round.

Denmark's Lucas Bjerregaard leads the tournament by one shot, with Thomas Pieters, Bernd Wiesberger and Thongchai Jaidee in a tie for second position.

Both Francesco Molinari and Edoardo Molinari reached the clubhouse with a score of 68, while England's Andy Sullivan is a shot further adrift on two-under-par.

Danny Willett continues to struggle since winning The Masters, with the world number nine only registering a score of 75.