McIlroy slams European Tour course set-ups after top-30 finish

Bernie McGuire

30th September 2019

Rory McIlroy has taken a huge pot shot at the European Tour slamming the set-up of the golf courses following a no-frills top-30 showing at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

McIlroy struggled from the outset in posting a 70 last Thursday on Carnoustie and while he managed a 66 on day two at Kingsbarns Links, weekend rounds of 70 and 67 over the famed Old Course left himself too much to do over the closing two days of the €4.5m event.

The World No. 2 was jetting home to his luxury Florida abode having also disappointed in last week’s BMW PGA Championship where he came from well back to share ninth place at Wentworth.

McIlroy brilliantly capped his final Dunhill Links round with six closing birdies having started from the 10^th tee.

In contrast, his opening nine holes was a sour mix of three birdies but also a pair of bogeys and a seventh hole double-bogey at the 16^th on the Old Course scorecard when he went ‘OB’.

And while McIlroy was disappointed to lose out in the team event, with he and his father, Gerry beaten on a count-back, the Ulster golfer’s comments on the course set-ups of the three-courses for the competition took most by surprise.

“You know, I’m sort of honestly sick of coming back over to the European Tour and shooting 15-under par and finishing 30^th,” he said.

“I don’t think the courses are set-up hard enough. There’s no penalties for bad shots. It’s tough when you come back when it’s like that. I don’t feel like good golf is regarded as well as it could be.

“But I played well enough, 15-under for four days. But you know, we’ll have a few weeks off and get back at it.”

McIlroy was asked if he will take the issue further in formally contacting the European Tour.

“I hope so as it also happened at the Scottish Open, as well, at the Renaissance Club where I finished 13, 14-under and finished 30th again,” he said.

“It’s not a good test. I think if the European Tour want to put forth a really good product, the golf courses and set-ups need to be tougher.”

In fact, McIlroy was 13-under for the weekend rounds to share 34th place in July’s Scottish Open.

McIlroy will next compete in Japan before returning to the European Tour for the October 31^st commencing WGC – HSBC Champions event in Shanghai and wind-up his year with the November 21^st starting DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.