Open. The magic was quickly gone. And once his miserable back nine was over, McIlroy was, too. It was a stunning collapse after his birdies on Nos.
When Rory McIlroy knocked in a 66-footer during a run of three straight birdies Saturday, he looked set for a big move at the U.S. The Masters champion made five bogeys and shot 40 on the back, finishing with a 3-over 73 that severely damaged, if not entirely ended, his chances of winning. 5-7 — the first time he made three in a row in a U.S. Open since the first round of his victory in 2011 — sparked him to a front-side 33 that had him in the top 10 at one point.
Key Factors
He felt he was still in the tournament even after making three straight bogeys in his second round Friday, believing he could make a move if he avoided those kinds of errors. Not Saturday. McIlroy opened the tournament with a 69 but in the two rounds since has struggled badly to figure out Shinnecock’s second nine, and the mess Saturday started from a perfect position. He bogeyed 14 and 15, then added a final one on No. 18. That left him a 3 over for the tournament, 10 shots behind Wyndham Clark.
