Rory McIlroy came up short in his pursuit of a dream Open Championship victory in Northern Ireland.
McIlroy’s first two rounds at Royal Portrush left him with too much to do to catch world number one Scottie Scheffler over the weekend.
Even when the Grand Slam champion carded an impressive five-under-par 66 on Saturday, Scheffler was four under himself.
McIlroy was six shots behind with 18 holes to play and finished with a seven-shot deficit, having made too many mistakes to pose a serious threat.
After the final round at Royal Portrush, the Northern Irishman praised Scheffler for his unbelievable performance this week.
READ MORE: What Scottie Scheffler told Wayne Riley on the 14th tee during the final round of The Open
Rory McIlroy reflects on Scottie Scheffler’s victory at The Open
McIlroy will probably feel less disappointed with his result because Scheffler was so superb. It’s not like he narrowly missed out on the Claret Jug.
The Masters champion admitted that Scheffler was simply too good this week at Royal Portrush and over the past two seasons on the PGA Tour.
“Yeah, none of us could hang with Scottie this week,” McIlroy said. “He’s an incredible player. He’s been dominant this week. Honestly, he’s been dominant for the last couple of years. He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to.
“In a historical context, you could argue that there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run, the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive.
“Yeah, he’s a very worthy winner. Also, he’s a great person, and I think he’s a wonderful ambassador for our game as well. I’m really happy for him, Meredith, and his family.”
Rory McIlroy has ‘admiration’ for Scottie Scheffler’s dominance
McIlroy has still had the most iconic golfing moment this year. Indeed, his victory at The Masters will probably go down as the greatest spectacle in the sport’s history.
However, there is no debate over the best player in the world today. Scheffler’s recent dominance has separated him from everyone else.
McIlroy said he has nothing but “admiration” for all that his biggest rival has achieved in the last two seasons.
“Admiration. I think all you can do is admire what he does and how he does it,” he added. “I think what he does is one thing, but how he does it is another.
“He just goes about his business, doesn’t do anything overly flamboyant, but he’s the best at executing in the game right now.
“Yeah, he’s been absolutely amazing over these past two to three years. As I said, all you can do is tip your cap and watch in admiration.”
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