‘Three bogeys per round is too many if Mcilroy is to win at Portrush’

Rory Mcilroy needs to cut out the mistakes to achieve his dream of winning an Open Championship in his native Northern Ireland next month, according to one of his biggest fans.

Colin Montgomerie has always felt Mcilroy, pictured, is the man to beat in majors if he is firing on all cylinders and enjoyed seeing him get into contention for a second US Open win heading into the final round at Pebble Beach.

However, the 30-year-old’s challenge was killed off by a double-bogey 6 at the second hole on Sunday and he eventuallyfinishedeightshotsbehind the winner, Gary Woodland, in joint ninth.

“Unfortunately for Rory, I think he won a week early, didn’t he?” said Montgomerie. “He came in off a fantastic win in the Canadian Open, but he just made too many mistakes at Pebble Beach.

“I don’t mean to criticism him, but he makes more bogeys than the other guys do. When (Brooks) Koepka made his bogey at the eighth in the final round, that was his first dropped shot in 36 holes.

“I mean Mcilroy is making three per round. I know he makes more birdies than a lot of the other players, but not that many more. He just makes the odd mistake. Should he have used his driver off the second tee on Sunday, for instance? That cost him a double-bogey and it’s that sort of thing that adds up.”

Bidding to repeat his 2013 success at Merion, Justin Rose was also left a touch disappointed after a closing 74 left him in joint fourth, having led after an opening 65 and being Woodland’s nearest challenger heading into the final day.

“Justin didn’t have his A game last week. He was poor, really, from tee to green. But, if you have 22 putts like he did on Thursday, christ, that helps,” added Montgomerie. “So, if he can get his long game back to where Justin Rose normally has that and now he has found the putting secret, he will be ready for Portrush and so will Rory as that is his big one, isn’t it?” Montgomerie said he was disgusted to see so many players spitting at the US Open due partly to the use of chewing tobacco, especially among American players.

Koepka was one of those captured disposing spit on Pebble Beach, having already been criticised by Sky Sports comble mentator Ewen Murray over a similar incident at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

“Oh, I hate that, I really hate it,” said Montgomerie. “I can see it happening when they chew that tobacco on a baseball pitch and spitting into the dirt, which is okay, but not on a golf course. Spitting is one of the worst human traits. It happens in American sport. It happens on the PGA Tour, it happens on the Champions Tour, it happens on the web. com Tour. We (British people) don’t tend to spit the way others do. I would love for it to be stamped out, but it is ingrown in American society, really.” venue, Australia-based Connor Mckinney and Barassie’s Euan Walker both carded second-round 70s to progress comfortably on one and two over par respectively.

In the paid ranks, Alastair Forsyth maintained his recent good form to earn a share of the lead after the first round of the PGA Professional Championship at Hunstanton in Norfolk.

The former European Tour player, who won the Northern Open for a second time at Newmachar earlier in the month, shot a bogey-free seven-underpar 65 to set the pace along with England’s James Freeman.

Paul O’hara, the 2017 winner, and Greig Hutcheon joined Forsyth in making promising starts as they carded matching 67s to sit joint third.