McIlroy: "I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major"
Rory McIlroy putts on the 17th green during the final round of the 2023 U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif. on Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Robert Beck/USGA)
Rory McIlroy admitted two bad shots cost him the US Open but he insisted that he’d suffer another 100 Sunday disappointments to get that elusive fifth major.
"When I do finally win this next major, it's going to be really, really sweet,” McIlroy said.
The Holywood star suffered a repeat of last year’s Open Championship disappointment at St Andrews when he had 34 putts at Los Angeles Country Club to finish a shot behind Wyndham Clark, who shot 69, on nine-under.
In the end he was left to rue a missed four footer for birdie at the eighth and a bogey at the par-five 14th, where he plugged a 124 yard wedge in the fesue grass above a cross bunker.
"The golf course was playing really tricky, and obviously the scores in the final few groups reflected that,” McIlroy said. "I mean, I didn't feel -- there was a couple of things that I probably would have done differently, but all in all, I played a solid round of golf.
"That one wedge shot on 14, missed birdie putt on 8, really apart from that, I did everything else the way I wanted to.
"Yeah, fine, fine margins at this level and at this tournament especially, but I fought to the very end. I obviously never give up.
"And I'm getting closer. The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it's going to happen for me. Just got to regroup and get focused for Hoylake in a few weeks' time.
"The last real two chances I've had at majors I feel like have been pretty similar performances, like St Andrews last year and then here.
"Not doing a lot wrong, but I didn't make a birdie since the first hole today. Just trying to be a little more, I guess, efficient with my opportunities and my looks.
"Again, overall when you're in contention going into the final round of a U.S. Open, I played the way I wanted to play. There was just a couple of shots, two or three shots over the course of the round that I'd like to have back.”
He admitted he lost his speed control with the putter as the greens sped up over the weekend.
"If anything, I felt like over the last two days when the greens started to get quite crispy that my speed control was off a little bit, and I think that's the reason I didn't hole a lot of putts,” he said.
"I don't think I was hitting bad putts; just hitting them just with slightly the wrong speed. Some were coming up short, some were going a little long.”:
Padraig Harrington feared the press would “hang” McIlroy if he failed to get over the line.
But the Holywood star is adamant he will end his major drought eventually.
"It is (exhausting to answer the questions about the drought), but at the same time, when I do finally win this next major, it's going to be really, really sweet,” McIlroy said.
"I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship."
