As I mentioned in last week’s article, I really fancied Rory to do well last week at Royal County Down and boy oh boy he did not disappoint. I am hearing all week how he has thrown away another tournament however I can’t say I fully agree. Rory’s game was impeccable all week except for a couple of putts where his pace let him down. To be honest I used to use the same putter Rory was using last week and my pace was very inconsistent with it also. I could never get a great feel from the face of the putter and as soon as I changed to a putter with a softer face my distance control dramatically improved. I can’t help but feel Rory could be suffering a similar issue I had when I also used to use that putter. I have never seen Rory’s swing look better than last week. The last time I saw him hit it around Royal County Down he was thumping the ball, trying to hit it as far as possible, but finding trouble in every corner. This time around his tempo was just magic and his swing just looked so effortless and controlled. I have to say if he keeps this tempo up, I would expect to see him win in the very near future.
The world-class field last week were treated to extremely challenging conditions throughout the weekend, with the famously difficult Royal County Down course pushing players to their limits. Winds gusting off the Irish Sea and the notoriously tricky links terrain tested every facet of the competitors’ games.
Rory however went into Sunday sitting exactly where he would have wanted to be right at the top. It was surely set for a comfortable Sunday stroll for Rory; he would go out and shoot a four or five under and sail home to victory. However, as we know in golf on Sunday afternoons, there is always a player that comes from behind with nothing to lose and posts a low round early, to put the pressure on the leaders. Last Sunday was no different when Rasmus Hojgaard had a run of four birdies in his final five holes to post a nine under total. Rory was sitting pretty with a tap in birdie on the 16th, setup by a stunning fairway wood tee shot to the front edge of the green on the 309-yard short Par 4. Rory would comfortably roll his long putt to only a couple of feet and comfortably tap in his birdie to join Rasmus on -8 under at the top of the leaderboard. Rasmus would then go on to birdie the short Par 5 final hole to set the clubhouse lead on -9 under par.
On the 17th tee Rory decided to take only a 4 iron from the tee, which I think surprised a lot of us including the commentators who felt he needed to get as far up that fairway as possible could do if he was to make birdie. Having only hit a long iron from the tee, this left Rory over 180 yards still and meant he now needed a mid-iron for his approach shot. In fairness Rory played a wonderful iron shot right at the pin but it came up some 30ft short of the pin and unfortunately as we have seen Rory do under pressure, he three putted allowing Rasmus to have a two-shot lead with only one hole remaining to play. Rory being Rory though hit his best driver of the tournament off the 18th leaving himself with only a 7-iron left to the pin, he hit again probably one of his best shots all week into around 20ft. It wasn’t his day however as his perfectly hit putt just didn’t break as early as he needed it to and his ball agonisingly grazed by the hole.
Despite the near miss, McIlroy’s performance captivated golf fans, reminding everyone why he remains one of the world’s elite players. After the round, McIlroy admitted his disappointment but remained upbeat about his performance. “It’s tough to come that close and not get the win, especially here at home, in front of these amazing fans,” McIlroy said. “I left a few shots out there with my putter, especially on the back nine, but I gave it everything I had. When I dropped shots on the 15th and 17th, I opened the door for someone to make a move and it was Rasmus, in fairness to him he played great golf especially down the stretch.
While McIlroy’s near miss dominated headlines, the real winner of the week was the course at Royal County Down. Widely regarded as one of the best golf courses in the world, the venue’s stunning beauty and challenging layout were on full display throughout the tournament. Players and fans alike marvelled at the rugged dunes, firm fairways, and lightning-fast greens that provided a true test of skill. Even the commentators commented it was the best conditioned course they had seen so far this year.
For McIlroy, the Irish Open may have slipped through his fingers this time, but his performance will be remembered as another chapter in his incredible career. With the support of his home crowd and the determination to capture more trophies, it’s clear that McIlroy’s pursuit of another Irish Open glory is far from over.
