Rory McIlroy’s disappointing performance at the British Open at Royal Troon marked another fruitless major season for the Irish golfer. With struggles on the fairways and greens, McIlroy failed to make the cut after shooting four-over-par 75 on Friday, following an opening round of 78. This marked a decade since his last major win in 2014 and came on the heels of a crushing loss to Bryson DeChambeau in the U.S. Open.
Speaking with reporters after his early exit, McIlroy admitted that he knew his tournament was over when he started the second round with six over through his first six holes, including a disastrous 8 on the par-5 fourth hole. Reflecting on his performance, he acknowledged that he struggled to adapt to the windy conditions at both the Masters and the British Open, ultimately leading to his subpar play.
McIlroy’s inconsistency was evident in the rarity of his missed cuts, having played every major but four in the last 23 and missing just three cuts in 15 British Open appearances. His streak of 26 consecutive made cuts was broken at Troon, with many top players also struggling with the challenging conditions. Notable names like Tiger Woods, Ludvig Aberg, and Bryson DeChambeau also missed the cut at the event.
Despite the struggles of many top players, there were some notable exceptions. Phil Mickelson, the runner-up in the memorable 2016 Open at Troon, managed to make the weekend with a five-over total. Henrik Stenson, the winner of that event, failed to recover from an opening round of 77 and missed the cut. Mickelson’s performance marked only the second cut made in his last six major starts.
The ongoing debate between calling the event the British Open or the Open Championship continued, with the official name being the Open Championship. However, given the preference of many American fans to refer to it as the British Open, media outlets like Golf Digest continue to use both terms in their coverage to accommodate different audiences. As top players like McIlroy and Woods look to bounce back from disappointing performances, the focus now shifts to upcoming events on the golf calendar.
