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As he so often does, Eddie Pepperell summed it up best, describing Rory McIlroy’s valiant fightback at Royal Portrush as “probably the most disappointing 65 you could ever shoot”.
Almost exclusively written off after carding a desperate 79 in the first round of The Open yesterday, Rory McIlroy came up just one shot shy in his bid to make the cut in front of a home crowd – and afterwards, he couldn’t hold back his emotions.
Fighting back tears, the 30-year-old said: “Part of me is disappointed and emotional not to be here for the weekend, but the other part of me is happy with how I played.
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“The support I got out there was incredible. Yesterday gave me a big mountain to climb but I dug in there, I tried my best, I showed really good resilience
"This was a week that I'd been looking forward to for a long time."
An emotional Rory McIlroy speaks to Sky Sports after seemingly missing the cut at #TheOpen, despite shooting a second-round 65 at Royal Portrush.
Watch The Open Verdict live on Sky Sports The Open now! pic.twitter.com/xfszO4Do7h
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 19, 2019
“It’s going to hurt for a little but I guess the good thing about
golf is that I’ve got a tournament in Memphis next year to turn my focus
towards.”
• The Glasgow shop behind those Nike Open shirts
Along with that of his compatriots Darren Clarke and Graeme
McDowell, Rory’s major-winning success had been credited with helping to
bring The Open Championship back to Northern Ireland for the first time
in 68 years.
• Clarke reflects on emotional morning at Portrush
• Oban to the Open – Robert MacIntyre’s remarkable journey
Suffice to say, he was crushed not to have a better week.
“This
is a week I’d been looking forward to for a long time,” he said. “I
didn’t play my part but everyone in Northern Ireland who came out to
watch me played theirs.”
ALL ABOUT THE OPEN
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