The Open: Rory McIlroy laments missed opportunity
Last Updated: 23/07/17 6:49pm
Rory McIlroy admitted his chances of winning The Open were all but over after he could only manage a one-under 69 in the third round at Royal Birkdale.
On a day when Branden Grace carded the first 62 in a major, McIlroy was unable to make any inroads into Jordan Spieth's lead after failing to build on a good start.
The world No 4 birdied three of the opening five holes, but back-to-back bogeys at the seventh and eighth and a double bogey at the 10th - after a birdie at the ninth - saw him slip off the pace.
McIlroy could then only manage one birdie on the back nine - at the 15th - to finish on two-under 208 and nine shots behind Spieth.
"It's hard to think 'big picture' now, I'm just off the golf course and I'm a little disappointed," he said.
"I definitely feel like today was an opportunity lost to get right in the mix going into tomorrow.
"I've always been good when I get off to fast starts being able to keep it going, and I didn't today. And I needed to, that's the disappointing thing.
"I need to pick myself up, play a good round tomorrow, hope for some bad weather, hope for some guys to struggle and we'll see what happens.
"Just play a good round of golf and see where that finishes me, I guess. Just go out there and play well and try to limit the mistakes, and get off to a fast start again like I've done the last couple of days and just try to keep it going."
The 28-year-old, who was hampered by back and rib injuries earlier in the year, has not won since September last year, but he feels he is close to getting back to his best.
"It's almost there, but still just a few sloppy swings," McIlroy added. "The swing on seven, 153 yards to the pin and you miss it that far left. Just stuff like that.
"And that's just more mechanics and where my golf swing is right now and just fighting that left shot a little bit.
"So left pins are a bit of a struggle right now. I'm trying to trust what I'm doing and trust my swing and I did there. I felt like I made a good swing and I looked up and the ball was about 10 yards left of where I wanted it to be.
"It's getting there. As I said, it's nearly there. It's not quite where I need it to be to win the biggest golf tournaments in the world. But it's getting there."
