Rory McIlroy’s Irish Open title defense ended with a final-round 67 at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg. The defending champion finished 40th on one under par after four rounds, leaving him unable to challenge for another victory at his national open.
McIlroy arrived in Ireland after strong finishes in the BMW Championship and Tour Championship and had hoped to build momentum during the European stretch of his season. His attention will now move quickly to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, followed by further opportunities in India and the Middle East.
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The Irish Open result was not what McIlroy wanted, but his assessment after the tournament highlighted areas of his game that could give him confidence heading into his next events.
However, the turning point of McIlroy’s week became clearer when he reflected on where the tournament slipped away.
Rory McIlroy Identifies His Irish Open Problems
McIlroy said his putting was the biggest reason he could not get himself into contention at the Irish Open, while costly mistakes during his third round also ended his hopes of defending the title.
The six-time major champion carded a 74 on Saturday after making several damaging errors early in the round. He felt he had been within touching distance of the leaders before that difficult day, but could not recover after the poor start.
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“I felt like I was within touching distance going into yesterday, and then just that bad start didn’t give me any chance of contending after that,” McIlroy said.
He finished the tournament with an eagle and 15 birdies but also recorded eight bogeys and four double bogeys across his four rounds.
McIlroy said his struggles on the greens remained a major issue. He had already spoken about difficulties reading the putting surfaces earlier in the week.
“It was just a struggle on the greens, and that was the big reason why I wasn’t able to get myself into contention,” he said.
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Despite the result, McIlroy found positives in his ball-striking. He said there were “a couple of destructive shots” and “a couple of bad decisions off the tees” during the third round, but believed his iron play had improved.
“Overall, iron play was a lot better,” McIlroy said. “Wedge play was pretty good for the most part this week. Obviously, it was just a struggle on the greens.”
His final-round 67 also gave him some encouragement.
“I hit some good shots, saw a couple of putts drop in, which was nice, and at least it gives me encouragement going into next week,” McIlroy said.
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With the Irish Open now behind him, McIlroy can turn his attention to the next opportunity on a familiar stage.
Rory McIlroy Turns Attention to Wentworth
The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth is McIlroy’s immediate next tournament as he looks to respond to his Irish Open result.
Wentworth is now effectively his home course after McIlroy bought a house in the area with his family. The tournament provides an immediate opportunity to build on the parts of his game that showed promise in Ireland.
McIlroy also has the DP World India Championship ahead before potential events in the Middle East later in the season.
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“I’ve got next week, and India. Hopefully, we play two events in the Middle East,” McIlroy said. “So four opportunities to play well and get myself in contention.”
Those tournaments will also be important in his pursuit of the Race to Dubai title. McIlroy is aiming for a fifth consecutive Race to Dubai crown, which would put him level with Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight season-long titles.
His Irish Open campaign did not produce the result he wanted, but McIlroy remains encouraged by his overall game.
“I’ve seen enough good stuff this week to give me encouragement,” he said. “I don’t feel too far away.”
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With the BMW PGA Championship next, McIlroy will look to build on those positives and regain his momentum as the DP World Tour season continues.
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