Rory McIlroy opens up after latest agonising near-miss at Irish Open

Rory McIlroy’s summertime of golfing heartache continued arsenic the World No.3 slipped to a melodramatic decision successful beforehand of his ain fans astatine the Irish Open.

The overnight person by two, McIlroy saw his pb extended to 4 successful the aboriginal stages connected Sunday astatine Royal County Down arsenic helium looked to assertion the Irish Open for the 2nd clip successful his career.

But the four-time large champion made 2 costly bogeys connected 15 and 17 to unfastened the doorway for Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard who made 4 birdies successful his past 5 holes to paper a final-round 65.

Needing an eagle connected the par-five past to lucifer Hojgaard’s people of -9, McIlroy produced a stellar robust changeable from the fairway but saw the resulting putt descent by to suffer by one.

It marks the latest near-miss for the 35-year-old who has besides squandered large opportunities astatine the US Open and Olympics successful caller months.

‘I felt similar I was successful power of the tourney for astir of the day. I felt I was playing truly coagulated and doing what I needed to do. Making a batch of pars, making the unusual birdie,’ the Northern Irishman reflected.

‘Then evidently the 2 bogeys connected 15 and 17 opened the doorway for idiosyncratic to person a bully decorativeness similar what Rasmus did connected the past fewer holes.

‘Missing the greenish close connected 15 is the spot you can’t spell and past I conscionable misjudged the gait with the archetypal putt connected 17.

‘Overall evidently truly disappointed that I didn’t triumph but I’ll effort to instrumentality the positives and determination connected adjacent week to Wentworth.

‘From wherever I was astatine the commencement of the week and what I wanted to do, it’s a measurement successful the close direction. And if thing it conscionable whets my appetite adjacent much for [the Open Championship at] Portrush adjacent year.’

For Hojgaard, meanwhile, triumph sees the Dane assertion his 5th triumph connected the DP World Tour and determination a measurement person to securing his PGA Tour for adjacent season.

‘It was a hard ticker successful the end. I had a fig contiguous that I tried to scope and that was 8 [under par],’ helium told Sky Sports.

‘Obviously coming successful connected 9 [under] was gold. I’m truthful happy. The crippled has been trending for a portion now. To get this 1 is massive.

‘It couldn’t travel astatine a amended time. There are immoderate large events astatine this clip of the season. I’m a measurement person to my extremity present [of joining member Nicolai connected the PGA Tour] and can’t hold for the remainder of the twelvemonth now.’

Italy’s Matteo Manassero finished 3rd connected 7 nether par with England’s Dan Brown a further changeable backmost successful fourth. Scottish duo Grant Forrest and Robert MacIntyre some finished connected -4 to circular retired the apical five.

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