McIlroy 'getting used' to painful near-misses

They were scenes from a movie we person seen earlier - and recently.

There was nan putt connected nan 72nd spread sliding past. There was nan crowd stunned into silence. There was nan consoling pat connected nan backmost from Harry Diamond. And location was, astatine nan centre of it all, a dejected protagonist.

Yes, for Rory McIlroy, an immensely enjoyable week backmost location astatine nan Irish Open ended pinch a acquainted sinking emotion arsenic nan location favourite's bid to seal a memorable Irish Open triumph astatine Royal County Down was crushed by nan brilliance of Rasmus Hojgaard.

McIlroy was battling to banish 2 different demons connected nan Newcastle links he knows truthful well: nan lingering symptom of his US Open near-miss and nan memories of his erstwhile appearances competing connected Northern Irish soil.

When Royal County Down staged nan 2015 Irish Open, he had nan ignominy of watching nan weekend's play connected TV aft missing nan cut. It was nan aforesaid communicative 4 years later astatine nan Open erstwhile his tourney astatine Royal Portrush met an early end.

This is simply a different benignant of symptom successful beforehand of his location fans, though. Having contended each week, McIlroy made costly errors connected 2 of his past 4 holes - evoking memories of US Open illness successful June - to unfastened nan doorway for Hojgaard.

After losing nan US Open to Bryson DeChambeau, McIlroy skipped media duties. Here, however, he fronted up and attempted to return nan positives from a near-perfect week backmost home.

"I'm getting utilized to it unluckily this year," McIlroy said of his near-misses this year, which person besides included faltering precocious successful nan last information of nan Olympics event.

"Hopefully nan tide is going to move beautiful soon, and I tin move each these adjacent calls into victories."

McIlroy astatine 1 constituent led by 4 successful Sunday's last information but pinch Hojgaard breathing down his cervix he made a costly correction astatine 15 by pushing his attack to nan correct of nan greenish astatine nan difficult par-four.

That was compounded by different correction astatine 17 erstwhile he raced his first putt past nan spread and grounded to person his second.

"Missing nan greenish correct connected 15 is nan spot you can’t spell and past I conscionable misjudged nan velocity pinch nan first putt connected 17," he admitted.

"Overall, evidently really disappointed that I didn’t triumph but I’ll effort to return nan positives and move connected to adjacent week to Wentworth [at nan BMW PGA Championship]."

The four-time awesome victor was nan main attraction successful Newcastle each week - and overwhelmingly so.

The crowds that followed him connected Sunday were not a cardinal miles disconnected what he would expect to spot astatine a awesome and he almost produced nan astir thrilling finale erstwhile 2 crushing blows astatine nan par-five 18th gave him an eagle putt and a changeable astatine forcing a play-off.

Indeed, nan sound erstwhile McIlroy's attack landed connected nan greenish and rolled to 10 feet was deafening - and that was not mislaid connected nan world number three.

"I must say, that roar erstwhile I deed that 2nd changeable connected 18 was beautiful cool," he said.

"The support I sewage retired location this week was perfectly amazing. I surely don't return it for granted.

"I had to effort to support my composure stepping up to nan 18th greenish there. Wish I could play successful beforehand of those fans and this ambiance each week.

"From wherever I was astatine nan commencement of nan week and what I wanted to do, it's a measurement successful nan correct direction. You know, if anything, it conscionable whets my appetite moreover much for Portrush [the Open Championship] adjacent year."