World No. 1 Rory McIlroy’s efforts to play five events in succession back-fired when he easily missed the cut in the BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy found too many potholes along the famed ‘Burma Road’ course horribly posting a six-over par 78 for an uncharacteristic five over par tally.
It was less a week ago McIlroy shot a career-best 61 on route to victory in the Wells Fargo Championship but in competing in Europe for a first time this year the four-time Major Champion was very much short of change.
McIlroy walked from the course looking drained and tired having teed-up having played 301 competitive holes in three weeks along with a full Wells Fargo Pro-Am round and 27 holes at the Bears Club before winning last week in Charlotte.
Rory McIlroy in trouble down the last on route to a closing bogey and round of 78 to miss the BMW PGA Championship cut. (Photo – Stuart Adams/www.golftourimages.com)
That ‘Just Do It’ image did it all wrong and no more evident than at the par four 11th hole after a wild drive left McIlroy taking double bogey.
Minutes earlier McIlroy stood on the 10th tee inside the projected cut line at level par but after a bogey on 10 alarm bells started sounding.
The bells toll for McIlroy at the 11th to send him sliding to a share of 101st and a further seven spots after he bogeyed the 13th and 16th holes.
McIlroy grabbed only his second birdie with a virtual tap-in on 17 but at five over par he needed to hole his second shot for an albatross at the par five 18th to be assured of playing all four rounds.
As it was, McIlroy had the crowd again scattering in finishing with a bogey and leaving SKY Sport TV red-faced in having to correct a 77 appearing on SKY’s $250,000 ‘golf buggy’.
“Actually it was a 78 not a 77 as I took a six there at 18,” said McIlroy.
In fact, it was McIlroy’s second highest score in 26 rounds in the Tour’s flagship event and a shot shy of a second round 79 he posted three years ago.
And McIlroy has not posted such a high score on European soil since a 79 on route to missing the cut in the 2013 Open Championship.
“Mental fatigue was a factor especially when I was trying to muster up a few more birdies coming down the stretch and I just couldn’t really get anything going,” he said.
“But then I’m not angry. A little disappointed I’m not going to be here for the weekend, but if there was any weekend to miss, coming off the back of three good weeks in the States.
“I’m probably in need of a little bit of a rest. I’d still rather be here but it’s not all bad getting to go home for the weekend and a couple of days to mentally refresh.”
However McIlroy revealed he may head now to Royal County Down and try and play a ‘quite’ practice round ahead of next week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.
But then that news will sure to see half of Co. Down flocking to get a peek at McIlroy.
It is the third occasion McIlroy has missed the cut in the defence of a Tour title.
McIlroy won 2011 Hong Kong Open but returned a year later to miss the cut with scores of 73 & 72.
He returned to Quail Hollow in 2011 to defend his maiden PGA Tour title but didn’t make it through to the Wells Fargo Championship final two rounds after scores of 75 & 72.
Of course, McIlroy had cited a wisdom tooth concern in withdrawing after nine holes in the defence of the 2013 Honda Classic.
