British Open: Most disappointing performances from Portrush

Rory McIlroy

Rory’s week started out horribly. On the first hole, an errant shot hit a fan’s cell phone, breaking it. It wasn’t the worst thing to happen on the hole, at least for Rory.

He ended up with a quadruple bogey and was +4 through one hole. The home country boy, the favorite, was instantly way behind the eight ball with a lot of strokes that he would need to make up for.

A bogey on the third hole would move him to +5. Birdies on seven and nine helped him look like he was starting to turn it around. From holes 4-15, he would have those two birdies and ten pars. A nice run to help him get back on track.

Or so we thought. A double-bogey on 16, a par on 17, and he would finish with a triple on 18. His score for round one was 79!

Rory showed up for day two, and instead of going through the motions, folding up and mailing it in, ending up giving it his all. He gave fans a fantastic show Friday keeping cameras on him the entirety of the back nine.

Two birdies on the front got Rory to +6 for the tournament. He would need an all-time back nine to make the cut. He would make it close.

Birdie-birdie-birdie was his start. Twitter and the golf world was abuzz with speculation. Rory was +3 with six holes left. With a cut line looking to be +1, Rory needed to make up two shots over those last six holes.

Then, disaster struck. After hitting into the sand, a two-putt bogey on 13 dropped him a very valuable shot. He would need three birdies over the last five.

Birdie-par-birdie. It was looking like he might be able to do it. All he needed was one birdie.

Par…

Par. Rory McIlroy’s home British Open (that sounds weird to say) was over. He missed the cut after shooting +2 for the tournament, with rounds of 79-65. He ended up tying for the 6th worst round of day one and tying for the best round of day two. It was one shot too little, and Rory would be done before we get to the weekend.

Rory was incredibly thankful afterward and knew what it meant not just for him, but for everyone there as well. Everyone watching wanted him to make the cut. Unfortunately, it ended up being an incredibly disappointing week for Rory, and incredibly meaningful at the same time.

The weekend is upon us, and the champion of the 148th British Open is that much closer. Kick back, relax, and get ready for another fantastic finale in 2019’s final major of the year.