Rory: I am no bottler
RORY McILROY insists he didn’t bottle it at the Masters.
The Northern Irishman was left crushed after slumping to a final-round 74 as Patrick Reed claimed the Green Jacket on Sunday night.
McIlroy had been desperate to win at Augusta and become just the sixth golfer in history to win all four Majors.
But his Masters hoodoo struck again when he failed to deliver and tumbled down the leaderboard to finish tied for fifth place.
McIlroy blew a golden chance to claim the title in 2011 as well. But he remains convinced he can win it eventually and said: “When you’re playing in the final group in a Major, there’s always going to be pressure.
“But it wasn’t as if nerves got to me. I just didn’t quite have it.
“I played probably some of the best golf
I’ve ever played here and it just wasn’t meant to be. Of course it’s frustrating and it’s hard to take any positives from it right now, but at least I put myself in a position and that’s all I’ve wanted to do. “For the last four years I’ve had top 10 at Augusta, but I haven’t been close enough to the lead. “This time I got myself there, I just didn’t quite do enough. I had a decent warm-up, I hit a bit of a shaky drive on the first hole, but I got a good up and down for par.
“I can’t give a good answer as to what I can take from this into the future right now, but I’ll sit down and reflect over the next few days and see what I could have done better.
“I’ll still come back next year and try again. I think, 100 per cent, that I can go back and win there.
“I’ve played in two final groups in the last seven years, I’ve had five top 10s. I play this golf course well. I just haven’t played it well enough at the right times.”