Rory McIlroy ditches media after frustrating Open Championship round

Rory McIlroy’s third spherical on the 151st Open Championship might go down as one of the vital irritating days of his whole profession.

He struck the ball fantastically from tee to inexperienced, however every time he bought to the placing floor, the flat stick utterly deserted him. A lot in order that McIlroy deserted his session with the media and instantly headed to the placing inexperienced after his spherical.

When McIlroy walked off the 18th inexperienced, after he missed one other makable birdie putt, his scorecard totaled to a 2-under 69.

Not a nasty rating, nevertheless it ought to have been significantly better—maybe nearer to the record-setting 8-under 63 Jon Rahm fired earlier within the day.

Photograph by Charlie Crowhurst/R&A/R&A through Getty Photos

Simply take a look at these superior statistics, which assist inform the story.

Rory McIlroy leads the sphere in strokes gained off the tee, ranks fifth in strokes gained approaching the inexperienced, and 111th in strokes gained placing.

Solely 76 gamers made the reduce this week at The Open, so McIlroy ranks worse in placing than half of those that already went residence.

Take his play on the par-4 2nd gap, as an illustration.

After blistering his drive off the tee, which threaded the needle round Royal Liverpool’s devilish pot-bunkers, McIlroy had 111 yards into the flagstick.

He stuffed it to 9 toes after which missed the brief birdie putt.

Photograph by Warren Little/Getty Photos

McIlroy proceeded to have nice birdie seems to be on the par-4 4th, par-4 eighth, par-5 fifteenth, par-3 seventeenth, and par-5 18th.

At every certainly one of these holes, McIlroy confronted birdie putts of inside 15 toes.

He missed all of them.

Now he heads to the apply inexperienced, the place he desperately wants to enhance his placing.

It appears as if the flat stick would be the sole motive why McIlroy will fail to contend Sunday at The Open, on the course the place he hoisted the Claret Jug in 2014.

Consequently, his main championship drought will prolong into 2024, that means an entire decade may have handed since McIlroy reached the top of the game.

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. You should definitely try @_PlayingThrough too.