THE OPEN It hots up on ‘Moving Day’ as brilliant GREEN
Rory’s still set to rule the Majors WEATHER WARNING
RORY MCILROY will go on to become Europe’s most prolific Major winner despite the drought which now extends to five years after his missed cut at Portrush.
It would have been unthinkable when he won the 2014 US PGA Championship to claim his fourth Major at 25 that he would still be waiting for his fifth.
But compatriot Graeme Mcdowell believes Mcilroy will rise again after the crushing disappointment of failing to make the weekend at his home Open.
Mcdowell said: “He won’t finish on four, he’ll win more – I’ve no doubt. He’ll win soon and he’ll win several. Double digits is well within his capabilities.
“Rory will get unfairly criticised this week but he’s a megastar, he came in here with the pressure of a nation on his shoulders, and he was always going to feel it more than we did.”
There was an insight into how much it all meant to him when he broke down in tears after his brilliant but ultimately fruitless second-round 65.
“Rory won himself a lot of fans just for reacting in a human way,” said Mcdowell. “We’re not robots, we feel emotion and golf will test you to the absolute limit like no other sport.”
Mcdowell, the sole Northern Irishman to make the third round, shot a 68 which took him to two under par. FINAL ROUND tee times have been brought forward at The Open because of the bad weather forecast.
The first group will now start at 7.32am with the leaders going off at 1.47pm. The final group had been originally scheduled to start at 2.50pm and finish at 6.45pm, but southerly gusts of up to 35mph and heavy rain are forecast later in the afternoon. Earlier starters could get a big advantage.
Irish Open champion Jon Rahm, who is on seven-under par, said: “It all depends on the weather, who knows? It looks like it’s going to be pretty bad.”
Fourth-round tee times at the this year’s Masters were earlier than scheduled because of a forecasted storm as Tiger Woods won his 15th Major. SHANE LOWRY will unite Ireland in support of his Open bid on the final day of an unforgettable week at Royal Portrush.
Favourite Rory Mcilroy could not handle the pressure of home support in the first Major back in Northern Ireland since 1951.
But County Clare man Lowry has taken up the challenge in a sport where there are no boundaries in the island of Ireland as he shot a sensational course record 63 yesterday to take a four-shot lead into final round.
The Ryder Cup-style chants of “Ole, ole, ole” as he walked up to the 18th green gave a flavour of the frenzied atmosphere to expect today at the sold-out course on the Antrim Coast.