Despite winning three times so far this season, 2024 will be remembered as Rory McIlroy’s year of near misses after another crushing blow at Royal County Down as his homecoming was spoiled by a fast finishing Rasmus Hojgaard.
McIlroy was looking to join Harry Bradshaw as just the second Irishman to win two Amgen Irish Opens and was in control with a two shot lead with four to play. But a bogey on 15 and a shocking three-putt on 17 left him needing a closing eagle to force a playoff with Hojgaard who stormed to the clubhouse with three successive birdies to set the target at nine-under with a 65.
Hojgaard (23) becomes the fourth Danish player to win the Irish Open and has repeated the feat of Soren Kjdelsen who was the last winner here in 2015.
McIlroy’s summer will be defined by costly errors at the crucial moment. The US Open at Pinehurst, the Paris Olympics and now an Irish Open in his home county could have been the trilogy of a sensational summer but will instead be remembered as a pattern of heartache.
“Unfortunately I’m getting used to it this year. Hopefully the tide is going to turn pretty soon, and I can turn all these close calls into victories,” McIlroy said after a final round of 69 for an eight-under total.
Forever the showman for better or worse, McIlroy needing an eagle to force a playoff with Hojgaard, cracked a drive into the heart of the fairway and a 7-iron from 190 yards to ten-feet to a rapturous roar.
Shaving edges on Sundays has become an all too familiar theme for the self confessed ‘nearly man’ and after lining up his putt to an atmosphere that would have been akin to a Euro 2028 match at Casement Park, it agonisingly turned its nose up at the hole.
Instead it was a closing birdie steeped in irrelevance and a near miss that almost mirrored what happened at the 150th Open Championship.
“I saw when I missed the second putt on 17, I saw that Rasmus had got to 9. So I knew what I needed to do on the 18th tee. Driver probably wasn’t the shot that was in play because it brought those three bunkers into play but I needed to try to make eagle.
“I had to try to thread it through those bunkers, which I did, and then yeah, the 7-iron was — yeah, probably two of the best shots I’ve hit all week.
“I thought I hit the putt with good enough speed for it to sort of come down the hill a little more. It just hung up there. Maybe the wind had a little to do with that coming out of the left.
“But I guess I can take the positives; that I hit the shots when I needed to, knowing that I needed to make a 3.”
Teeing off a shot clear of Matteo Manassero, McIlroy looked ominously in command after back-to-back birdies to open his round helped him move four shots clear after four holes.
It seemed an early case of how much he wins by but unfortunately for McIlroy, he was unable to move through the gears, missing birdie chances on 8 and 9 after a bogey on 7 to leave the destiny of this tournament very much in the melting pot heading into the back nine.
A birdie on 11 looked to have steadied things as he opened up a two shot gap once again but late errors were punished by Hojgaard who chipped in on 10 and held from the green side bunker on 17 to aid his charge to his 5th DP World Tour win.
“Felt like I was in control of the tournament for most of the day,” reflected a disappointed McIlroy. “Felt like I was playing really solid, doing what I needed to do, making a lot of pars, making the odd birdie. Then obviously the two bogeys on 15 and 17 opened the door for someone to have a good finish like what Rasmus did there on the last few holes.
“Yeah, unfortunately I played well this week, missing the green right on 15 was the place that you can’t go. And just misjudged the speed with the first putt on 17.
“Overall, yeah, obviously really disappointed that I didn’t win but I’ll try to take the positives and move on next week to Wentworth.”
McIlroy has experienced the harsh realities of being a top level sportsman this year and this is another result that will sting after coming up short on home soil, in front of his own people who chanted his name all the way up the 18th hole.
“I must say, I’ve never — that roar when I hit that second shot on 18 was pretty cool.
“Yeah, the support I got out there this week was absolutely amazing. I’ve had a great time being home. It’s been too long. Need to keep coming back more often.
“I’m very lucky. I get so much support when I come back. I certainly don’t take it for granted. I sort of had to try to keep my composure walking up to the 18th green there. But I did that as best as I could, but yeah, wish I could play in front of those fans and this atmosphere every week; it isn’t quite like that. Yeah, personally appreciate all the support and I can’t wait to come back.”
Final round charges from Manassero and Daniel Brown came up shy as they took third and fourth respectively while a final round of 68 gave Shane Lowry a share of 12th place.
Séamus Power shot a round of 71 to share 26th place on one-over as Tom McKibbin fell to a 73 for a two-over total and 30th place.
17-year-old Roganstown star Seán Keeling completed a dream week on thirteen-over.
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