NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Greater than three weeks after his collapse within the remaining three holes of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Rory McIlroy on Wednesday known as the ultimate spherical a “nice day till it wasn’t.”
McIlroy missed quick putts on Nos. 16 and 18 to assist in giving Bryson DeChambeau a 1-stroke victory and his second U.S. Open title after the LIV Golf League captain hit a chip shot from 55 yards away in a fairway bunker to about 4 ft and made a par putt to complete 6 below.
“I acquired over it fairly rapidly,” McIlroy stated throughout a information convention on the Genesis Scottish Open, the place he’ll attempt to defend his title at The Renaissance Membership. “The few days after it had been fairly robust at instances, however I really feel like I’ve performed an excellent job of fascinated about it rationally and constructively and taking what I want from it and making an attempt to be taught from it. However like for essentially the most half it was an ideal day. I maintain saying to individuals, ‘It was an ideal day till it wasn’t.'”
McIlroy, the No. 2-ranked participant within the Official World Golf Rating, had a 2-stroke lead after transferring to eight below with birdies on Nos. 9, 10, 12 and 13. However he carded bogeys on Nos. 15, 16 and 18 to fall again to five below. On the par-3 fifteenth, he hit his tee shot over the inexperienced and could not stand up and down for par.
McIlroy stated he began feeling uncomfortable after hitting his first putt on No. 16. After ready for Patrick Cantlay to putt, McIlroy hit a 2½-footer too onerous and his ball lipped out. He hadn’t missed a putt inside 3 ft all season.
“Like midway down the primary putt, it seemed prefer it might be a birdie, and it ran a foot by the place I believed it was going to complete,” McIlroy stated. “Then I marked it, after which Patrick was hitting his putt and he can take his time. Clearly, greens are robust. It is the top of a Sunday on the U.S. Open. Like it’s important to be actually deliberate in what you are doing.”
McIlroy stated he learn his second putt on the sixteenth proper of middle however pulled it only a contact.
“Most likely began it straight, possibly a contact left of middle, and the inexperienced grabbed it, and it caught the left edge,” McIlroy stated. “Wasn’t a horrible putt, however I positively felt a little bit little bit of uneasiness earlier than I hit it.”
After pulling his tee shot into the native space on No. 18, McIlroy may solely run his strategy up the golf green. His ball stopped simply in need of the inexperienced, and he chipped to 4 ft. McIlroy stated he needed to ensure he did not blast his par putt previous the outlet if he missed. He did not make the par putt.
“I simply left it on the unsuitable aspect of the outlet,” McIlroy stated. “I acquired above the outlet, the place the outlet was lower on prime of the little slope and ended up fairly dry and crusty across the gap. And the chip shot simply ran out a little bit bit and acquired previous the outlet. I hit that putt very, very simple, and clearly simply missed on the low aspect and it nonetheless went an excellent 3 or 4 ft by.
“So I used to be in all probability taking part in it, I do not know, like two, two-and-a-half cups left, no matter it was. There was quite a lot of swing to it, particularly with how simple I used to be hitting it. Like I stated, if it was match play and the subsequent one did not matter, I might have approached the putt in a different way.”
McIlroy was making an attempt to win his first main championship because the 2014 PGA Championship. He’ll carry an almost 10-year main drought into subsequent week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland, the place he’ll as soon as once more be among the many favorites to win the Claret Jug.
Since one other heartbreaking end in a serious, McIlroy hasn’t performed a aggressive spherical. He withdrew from the Vacationers Championship, the final signature occasion of the PGA Tour season, and spent three days in New York.
“I feel as you obtain extra within the recreation, you’ll be able to soften the blow, for those who have a look at all the pieces I have been in a position to accomplish,” McIlroy stated. “It has been some time since I’ve gained a serious. It damage, however I felt worse after another losses. I felt worse after Augusta in ’11, and I felt worse after St Andrews [the 2022 Open Championship]. It was up there with the robust losses however not the hardest.”
McIlroy will look to bounce again at this week’s Scottish Open. In final yr’s match, McIlroy posted birdies on the ultimate two holes, hitting his strategy from 205 yards to 11 ft on No. 18. His birdie putt gave him a 72-hole complete of 15 below, 1 higher than Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.
“Once I look again on that day, identical to I look again on a few of my hardest moments in my profession, I will be taught so much from it, and I will hopefully put that to good use,” McIlroy stated. “It is one thing that is been a little bit of a theme all through my profession. I have been in a position to take these robust moments and switch them into nice issues not very lengthy after that.”
