Rory McIlroy’s “killer instinct” questioned by tour pro

Rory McIlroy’s feeling on the 18th green on Sunday at Royal County Down was all too familiar.

“Unfortunately, I’m getting used to it this year,” he shrugged after missing out on the Irish Open in agonising scenes akin to his US Open collapse at Pinehurst.

Just like that painful day in North Carolina, McIlroy was edged out by one shot in excruciating circumstances after putting woes down the stretch.  His three-putt bogey from the 17th fairway allowed Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard to steal his national open from his grasp with a sublime run of four birdies in his final five holes.

• Rory McIlroy responds to Poulter’s Ryder Cup captaincy claim

• Brandel Chamblee blasts LIV Golf over TV ratings

McIlroy almost made an incredible eagle on his 72nd hole to force a playoff, but his effort slid by.

Once again, the inquest over another near miss began and McIlroy was left to wonder how a tournament he was in complete control of evaded his grasp.

Speaking on this week’s Chipping Forecast, DP World Tour Eddie Pepperrell suggested that McIlroy is lacking “killer instinct” to close out big victories.

“I hesitate to say this but one wonders if he doesn’t have a huge killer instinct in strokeplay events even in spite of the many victories he’s had,” Pepperell said.

“And it makes you wonder how many wins he would have if he had the killer instinct that Tiger had or you could argue someone like a Brooks Koepka or Jon Rahm has.

“I think that goes to show the level of talent that Rory has. I think it is unparalleled since Tiger and I still maintain that. His ability to play golf, hit shots. His two shots into 18 on Sunday were just unbelievable and he’ll be kicking himself.

• Another Scottish golf course closes

• Masters makes long-awaited change to TV coverage

“He’s got to try find a way in his mid to late thirties  now and as he moves into his early forties of engendering a mindset that’s going to help him cross the line more frequently than he currently is, even though he is still winning two or three tournaments a year.

“As I’ve remarked on before, he’s going to be in the kind of physical shape that’s going to enable him to win half a dozen tournaments a year, have good chances and a few of them are going to be majors. He just needs to try and find a way of crossing the line.”

McIlroy is back in action this week at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and Pepperell thinks the Northern Irishman’s game is still in “fantastic shape.”

Pepperell continued: “Rory didn’t do a lot wrong. I think he’d feel as though he did more wrong at Pinehurst for sure and lost that tournament. I don’t think you can necessarily say he lost this, but of course he didn’t go out and win it in the way we would have been used to seeing Tiger, Rory etc go out and win these events in the past.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.