Rory McIlroy: Shinnecock Hills ‘won the battle’ at U.S. Open

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Rory McIlroy came up short in his bid to win a second U.S. Open and seventh career major this week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and he knows just where things went wrong.

McIlroy was in contention for much of the week before a wobbly close to his third round, and he started the day 10 shots back of leader Wyndham Clark. An aggressive tee shot on No. 1 nearly drove the green on the opening hole, but his greenside pitch couldn’t hold the putting surface – a microcosm of a week where he was all around it but never quite in full command.

McIlroy bogeyed three of his first five holes to evaporate any chances of a miracle final-round rally, and he ultimately signed for a 3-over 73 that dropped him to 6-over for the week and outside the top 30 when he signed his scorecard.

“You try to come out here today positive, and you try to muster up the energy to try to put a good one up there,” McIlroy said. “But a couple of bogeys on the front nine, and I was just trying to race my way to the 18th green.”

McIlroy is now 15 years removed from his lone U.S. Open title at Congressional, but he made the turn Saturday at 2-under and was very much alive for his second major championship of the year. He bogeyed four of his first six holes on the inward half, though, and ultimately signed for a back-nine 40 that quickly jettisoned his title hopes.

Reflecting on the week as a whole, he pointed to that pivotal stretch in the third round as the moment where the trophy moved out of reach.

“I think (the course) won the battle over me at this point,” McIlroy said. “I think looking back on the entire week, I’ll obviously rue the back nine yesterday. I got myself to 2-under par after (No.) 9 yesterday, and then the wheels came off and I played a really bad back nine. I sort of shot myself out of the tournament then. Obviously was really disappointed coming away from the course last night.”