Rory McIlroy has now joined an unwanted U.S. Open winning members club after scores of 77 and 73 for a shock 10-over par tally.
After missing the cut by two strokes McIlroy is now among just seven players to not play all four rounds in the defence of the title.
McIlroy trudged from Olympic’s torture chamber in a distant share of 123rd place and five shots adrift of the then halfway cut of five over par.
- Two missed putts at the last and Rory McIlroy now looking likely to become the seventh U,S. Open defending champion in history to miss the cut. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Just 12 months ago McIlroy rewrote the U.S. Open record books with his Congressional command performance. He celebrated Father’s Day embracing his father, Gerry and with the golf world at his feet.
But a year on and McIlroy is staring at the shock reality of a fourth missed cut in five tournaments.
McIlroy walked from the course having missed a 15-foot birdie putt at the last and then a virtual ‘gimme’ for par in a round of 73.
He did not hang around for a long fireside chat and instead headed straight for the Oympic Club locker room clearing out his locker and not expecting to be playing all four rounds.
“If the cut is nine (over) I won’t be feeling too good tonight,” said the curly-haired Northern Irishman.
“But yeah, obviously disappointed. It wasn’t the way I wanted to play.
“I left myself with a lot of work to do after yesterday’s round, and to be honest overall I don’t feel like I played that badly for the last two days.
“It’s just such a demanding golf course and just punishes the slight test shot that’s off line or that’s maybe not the right distance or whatever and that’s how I feel. I feel like it’s, you really have to be so precise out there and if you’re going to get punished.”
McIlroy faced an anxious afternoon wait before confirmation of the eight over par cut off mark.
He know is the seventh player in the history of the U.S. Open to have missed the cut as a defending champion.
Other members of the ‘Club’ include 2005 winner Michael Campbell of New Zealand who posted a 12-over par score a year later. Then in 2008 Argentina’s crashed out in his defence with a 13-over par tally at Torrey Pines.
McIlroy will now have a week off and prepare for his next event, the June 28th commening Irish Open at Royal Portrush.
