Rory McIlroy suffered another agonising weekend as he narrowly missed out on the BMW PGA Championship title.
The Northern Irishman fought back to force a three-way play-off Billy Horschel and Thirston Lawrence at Wentworth. Lawrence bit the dust after the first hole, turning it into a head-to-head between McIlroy and Horschel.
Both had a tricky 30ft putt on the second play-off hole, but while McIlroy’s shot gut-wrenchingly missed, Horschel sunk his to secure his second BMW PGA Championship title. It was another bitter pill to swallow for McIlroy, who has had more than his fair share of near-misses this season.
Nevertheless, he showed his class afterwards, admitting: “Look, it’s golf and I’m playing well. These things happen.” That was followed by a telling statement from the four-time major champion, who after his latest close-run effort admitted: “the game is testing me” more than it has before.
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy breaks club midshot – “I don’t think it’s ever happened to me before”
REAR MORE: ‘Rory McIlroy is starring in his own golf horror movie – he can’t handle the pressure’
It’s been a series of near-misses for the 35-year-old, who has been on the cusp of clinching major titles this season. Despite leading by four shots at the US Open in June, he watched as LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau snatched the trophy from his grasp, reports the Express.
Last week saw him come second at the Irish Open, missing out to Rasmus Hojgaard after a dramatic play-off having been four shots ahead at one stage. The heartbreak at Wentworth was just another chapter in his recent spate of close calls. Undeterred, he said: “All I can do is keep showing up and trying to play the golf that I’ve been playing and sooner or later it’s going to end up in a win.
“The nice thing is there’s next year and the year after and the year after and the year after. If you think of my career as a 30-year journey, it’s only one year in a 30-year journey, and hopefully the other 29 are a little more productive or a little bit better.”
(Image: Getty Images)
He added: “I have certainly had years where I’ve felt worse. When you get yourself in contention so much, inevitably you’re going to have disappointments. Unfortunately I’m just getting a little too used to feeling what it’s like when you do and hopefully that tide will turn.”
McIlroy could have dodged a play-off at Wentworth with a birdie on the 18th, but fate had other plans – as he pulled his four-iron left, landing him at 20 under par, neck and neck with eventual champ Horschel. After a tough day on the green, McIlroy found solace in the arms of his loving wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy.
Winner Horschel dished out a heartfelt pep-talk post-match, saying: “I’m thrilled, excited for the way I played and battled out there today but at the same time a little disappointed.
“Rory’s a really good friend of mine and I think the world of him. I think he’s a generational talent and I know how close he’s been this year so I can feel for him, but at the same time I’m pretty excited to be able to get it done today.”