Rory McIlroy finished in a tie for 40th place at The Open
Rory McIlroy ended The Open in a tie for 40th position following a disappointing few days at Royal Birkdale, as New Zealand’s Ryan Fox secured his first major championship.
The Holywood golfer was unable to mount a challenge on the final day, having been on the back foot from the start. McIlroy picked up birdies at the second and sixth holes before dropping a shot at the par-three seventh.
Another birdie followed at the tenth, but a bogey at the 11th and a double bogey at the 17th derailed his progress. McIlroy salvaged a birdie at the 18th to card one-over for the day and finish one-under for the championship.
The 37-year-old collected €61,000 for his performance and conceded he was “stuck in neutral” throughout his four rounds at the Southport course. McIlroy now intends to belatedly celebrate his second consecutive Masters triumph from earlier this year with his family.
He said: “I was just sort of stuck in neutral for most of the week. Even par over the weekend is not going to get it done.
“I just felt like any time I got a little bit of momentum out there, I seemed to make a bogey. It was just one of those weeks I couldn’t get it going.
“This season feels very similar to last season. Obviously I won the first major of the year and fell off a little bit after that – but any time you win a major in a year, you have to be pleased about that.
“I haven’t really taken the time to enjoy that or celebrate that. Poppy’s got another four weeks off school until she goes back, so I’m just going to enjoy the summer holidays with her and Erica. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”
Fox, meanwhile, collected just shy of €2.8million after keeping his composure to birdie the final hole, securing victory by a solitary stroke. McIlroy concluded proceedings nine shots adrift of the champion, while Americans Cameron Young and Sam Burns claimed second and third place respectively.
World number one Scottie Scheffler and England’s Tommy Fleetwood shared fourth position.
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