Rory McIlroy is once again thinking about another miss at a major tournament. Credit: Getty Images/Ross Kinnaird
Rory McIlroy refuses to sink into any of the negativity surrounding his agonizing proximity to the US Open on Sunday, saying he's heading to the 151st Open at Hoylake next month, believing he » never been this close» to ending his fruitless run in the majors.
McIlroy will arrive in Connecticut on Tuesday for this week's Travelers Championship, and his path to the fifth major has been described in the global media as «harrowing», «heartbreaking» and «a mental burden». However, in a 125-1 loss at LA Country Club to underdog Wyndham Clarke, McIlroy made it clear he intends to stay positive and not tire of his seemingly incessant close-quarters clashes in the most important events.
I never give up. up and I'm getting closer,» he said. “The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it will happen to me. Just need to regroup and focus on the Open in a few weeks.”
When asked if investigating the causes of his big void, tending to a decade, is tiresome, he quoted from the championship. “That’s true, but at the same time, when I finally win the next Major, it will be very, very nice,” he said. «I'd spend 100 Sundays like this to get another big championship.»
The statistic backs up McIlroy's claim that he hasn't knocked that loudly on that door since the 2014 PGA in Valhalla, the last of his four big wins. There was obviously a difference in defeat, one shot short of his second-place finish at the 2018 Open Championships and two short of his bridesmaid honor at last year's Masters.
Also, there was the fact that no one made so few shots (271) without winning the US Open. McIlroy monopolized the greens standings (59 out of 72) and once again no one has been so accurate at the American Nationals without holding the title on Sunday night.
Sure, there were a few mistakes—missing a four-foot birdie in eighth and an action-packed scarecrow on par-five in 14th—but his «failure» was marked not by mediocrity, but simply by the fact that the ball didn't fall. His shot was anything but terrible, but the flat stick was really cold.
McIlroy was a great player on the green, but he was coldly treated with a club during the last round at the Los Angeles Country Club. Photo: USA Today/Michael Madrid
“It reminded me of St. Andrews last year,” McIlroy said, referring to his third-place finish behind Cam Smith in the 150th Open. “Pretty similar performances. I didn't make many mistakes, but I didn't birdie the first hole here [last round]. Just trying to be a little more efficient, I guess, with my abilities and my looks. I executed my game plan really well, hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens and did what needs to be done at the US Open. Sooner or later it will happen to me.”
McIlroy's compatriot Paul McGinley also noticed similarities to his performance at Old Course. «Gutted because of him,» the former Ryder Cup player told Telegraph Sport after working in a booth for Sky and Golf Channel. “But he didn't take advantage of the goal holes in the final round like he did on Sunday at The Open last year. Other than that, the conservative game plan was good, and in many ways he showed great resilience. Not that it was many miles away. On the contrary, he must believe that it is very close.”
McIlroy declined to talk about the LIV issue at LACC, and Golf.com reported that his team told officials if there were any questions regarding the controversial PGA Tour merger with the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, after which he closed the press conferences. In short, he took fifth to try and win his fifth.
Clearly, this is about McIlroy the golfer, not McIlroy the statesman — for the second time in a row he will not hold a pre-tournament press conference this week — and his many fans will look forward to the same wise self-focus in Hoylake. He could also use the same tactics on the Merseyside field.
Wirral's ties were soft and lush when he won the Claret Jug there nine years ago, and his aggression paid off, but in the midst of this heat, the lay-out apparently leaning towards the harsh conditions that Woods had prevailed eight years earlier. Woods was rethinking his itinerary that week, ditching the driver in favor of the famous two-iron stinger. The mantra was total control.
McIlroy will always look to use his advantage at a big club whenever possible, but he proved in Tinseltown that he can resist turning every tee shot into a blockbuster and do his best to find fairways and greens. «I'll regroup, play the Travelers, then play the Scottish Open, but I'm already focused on making sure I'm ready to play Liverpool,» he said. «I will always come back.»
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