McIlroy vows he’ll be back after yet more Masters heartache
augusta — Rory McIlroy came up empty again in his bid to complete a career Grand Slam at the Masters, but the Northern Ireland star insists he has the game to win at Augusta National.
“I think 100 per cent I can come back and win here,” McIlroy said after fading to a 2-over par 74 and a tie for fifth behind first-time major winner Patrick Reed. “I’ve played in two final groups in the last seven years, I’ve had five top-10s, I play this golf course well,” McIlroy said. “I just haven’t played it well enough at the right times.”
McIlroy trailed Reed by three going into the final round, and their final pairing was expected to produce the kind of fireworks seen in Reed’s 1-up Ryder Cup victory over McIlroy at Hazeltine two years ago.
Instead, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler surged from the chasing pack to threaten. It was world number 24 Reed who stood firm, wresting a 1-under 71 from Augusta National as McIlroy let chances go begging.
“I feel like momentum is a huge thing, especially in final rounds,” McIlroy said. “You look at what Jordan and Rickie did. They got on a roll and I just didn’t. Patrick and I didn’t. We were in and around even pare and were just grinding out there ... he just hung in there a little better than I did and got the job done.”
An opening tee shot that skidded right proved to be an omen, even though McIlroy managed to salvage a par as Reed made a bogey.
A birdie at the par-5 second saw McIlroy edge even closer, but he could never build momentum as that marked the start of a birdiebogey-birdie-bogey run. “It was like every time I took a step forward I took a step back on the next hole,” McIlroy said. —