Rory McIlroy was the highest of high-profile casualties in the 152nd Open, the one who – most of all – endured the Old Course’s wrath at Royal Troon.
But he was not alone. Bryson DeChambeau, his nemesis from the US Open at Pinehurst, also departed. So, too, wunderkinds Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland, among others who’d arrived with expectations of Major deliverance.
For McIlroy, the world number two, redemption for his failings at Pinehurst were beyond his powers and even surviving the cut proved out of reach. Indeed, the Northern Irishman’s hopes were all but extinguished by a run of bogey-triple bogey-bogey-bogey in a four hole stretch from the third to the sixth holes into the teeth of a southerly wind.
“I think once I made the eight on the fourth hole, that was it! 22 holes into the event and I’m thinking about where I’m going to go on vacation next week?”
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The endgame, in truth, didn’t matter (a 75 for 11-over-par 153) because the damage had been done so early, six-over on his round through six holes, and McIlroy’s day was probably summed up when he attempted a club twirl on the homeward run that caught him on the chin.
The applause, somewhat sympathetic, from those gathered in the 18th grandstands brought with it another year which has passed without a Major to add to his CV and McIlroy claimed his golfing enjoyment over the weekend would come in cheering on Shane Lowry.
McIlroy, more than most, was blown away in the wind and the reset – following a short holiday – will be for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
“I feel like I say this every Open Championship, but it’s not as if we only play four events a year. We play like 25, so there’s still a few things there’s left to play for,” said McIlroy, adding:
“Obviously the Majors have come and gone, but I have to sort of refocus and try to reset for the Olympics, which will be another cool experience, and try to play well there. And, then again, I’m in contention to try to win both [order of merit] titles on either side of the Atlantic, so still some things to play for until the end of the year.”
McIlroy will have a week off before resetting for the Olympics – he was tied-fourth, just outside the bronze medal in Tokyo – in Paris but planned to watch the Open on television in the hope that Lowry could claim the championship again.
As he put it, “I can’t wait to watch this weekend. Shane’s so creative. I think even just watching the coverage the last couple of days, that little sort of squeezy cut that he can hit, especially going out in that front nine, is going to be really helpful to him. Look, he relishes these conditions. He loves playing these conditions. The Open Championship is his favourite tournament in the world. He gets more up for this than anything else. I’m looking forward to cheering him on and hopefully him getting his second jug.
For McIlroy, though, the wait will stretch until the Masters next April as far as further majors go. Into a second decade, indeed, since his last.
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