After failing to convert a four-stroke lead into victory at the Irish Open, where he ended up losing by one to Rasmus Hojgaard, and falling in a three-way playoff against Billy Horschel last Sunday at the BMW PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy has philosophically taken this double blow and believes that golf is “testing” him.
For the Northern Irishman, “last week was tough”, but he left “with his head held high” for how he played the last hole, “trying to make the three, and the playoff holes, with a couple of birdies”. Rory believes that his defeat “shows the level here, if you miss a little or don’t make birdie at the crucial moment, there is always someone waiting to take advantage, I had my chance on the last hole”.
In any case, and despite consecutively losing two tournaments that he practically had in the bag, McIlroy tries to see the glass half full: “I’ve been playing well for two weeks in a row, but not enough. The game is testing me a bit more than it has in the past, but that’s okay. I’m happy with my game and its trend. I have a week off and then I’ll get back to it at the Dunhill in a couple of weeks”.
Horschel, winner at the BMW, made birdie on the last hole to secure a spot in the playoff and ended up winning with an eagle on the second playoff hole. “I played the two playoff holes well, especially the four iron I hit to green on the second”, said McIlroy after his defeat. “I threw a good putt that slipped to the right while Billy holed his, that was the difference”, he concluded.
It was the fourth second place for Rory this year and his eighth top 5 without winning. Now, after a few days of rest and trying to philosophically take what he has experienced these weeks on his return to the Old Continent, he is preparing for the Old Course, where he will play with his father next week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in search of that victory that is resisting him more than he would like.
