A stunning back-nine collapse has ended Rory McIlroy’s realistic chances of winning the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.
The Northern Irishman carded five bogeys on the inward nine Saturday, posting a score of 40 on the back nine that has become a troubling pattern throughout the week. Over the course of the tournament, McIlroy has played the front nine at 5 under par while playing the back nine at 8 over — a dramatic and costly split.
After rounds of 69 and 71 to open the championship — which McIlroy himself said had not put him out of contention — he shot a third-round 73, leaving him at 3-over 213 for the tournament. As leader Wyndham Clark was finishing his round, McIlroy trailed by as many as 11 strokes.
The round had actually shown promise early. McIlroy strung together three consecutive birdies at holes 5, 6, and 7, highlighted by a remarkable 66-and-a-half-foot putt that dropped at the par-4 sixth. Standing at 2 under for both the day and the tournament as he made the turn, he appeared to be within striking distance of Clark with 27 holes remaining.
What followed, however, was a series of costly mistakes. At the 10th hole, his approach shot rolled off the back of the green, and his next attempt skidded 22 feet past the pin, resulting in a bogey. He then three-putted from 52 feet at No. 12 for another bogey, and faced a similar challenge two holes later when his approach left him 57 and a half feet from the cup.
By that point in the round, McIlroy ranked 60th out of 72 remaining golfers in strokes gained on approach — his clear weak spot for the day, even as he gained strokes in every other statistical category.
The par-4 15th hole proved to be a particularly rough stretch, as McIlroy’s tee shot found the native area. His third shot from behind the green failed to reach the upper level and trickled back off entirely. He visibly showed his frustration, waggling his club in his left hand the moment he realized the shot had gone wrong.
McIlroy declined to speak with reporters following the round. He missed an 8-foot birdie opportunity at the par-5 16th, found the sand bunker at the par-3 17th before saving par, and closed with yet another bogey after a visit to the native area forced him to punch out away from the pin.
He hit just eight of 18 greens in regulation — well short of the field average for the day.
The two-time reigning Masters champion would need an extraordinary and historic Sunday performance to mount any kind of comeback. His only U.S. Open title came in 2011, which was also his first major championship victory.
