Rory McIlroy is carrying the dual burdens of being a huge fan favourite and an anti-LIV spokesman, Justin Thomas has claimed.
The Ulsterman took his winless Major streak to 30 after finishing third at The Open after starting the final round with a four-shot lead, along with Viktor Hovland. Winning a Major title is hard enough. But US PGA champion Thomas reckons McIlroy, the most popular player under the sun at St Andrews, is also playing under the weight of expectation as his Major title drought heads beyond eight years.
“He hasn’t won a Major since 2014,” said the world No.7. “For a player of his calibre, I know he is very frustrated with that. He has earned the right to be arguably the second biggest name in golf other than Tiger [Woods] with the success he has had.
"I think the expectation part is one of the hardest things I have had to deal with in terms of feeling you should play well and win, or wanting to win because everyone wants you to win. I think that is really underrated. To be able to perform with that expectation and pressure. It is really hard for him with the number of people pulling him.”
McIlroy is also the highest-profile player director on the PGA Tour ’s policy board and an outspoken critic of the Saudi breakaway league. So as well as striving for a fifth Major and becoming a father, McIlroy has also juggled endless Zoom calls with golfing bodies during the LIV crisis and every press conference speaking on the issue.
“It is very difficult,” added Thomas. “None of it is selfish - it is for the betterment of the game and the better picture. He is never going to give you a PC answer and I think that is what a lot of people respect about him. He is just going to tell you how it is.
Do you agree LIV Series golfers should be banned from majors? Let us know in the section.
"And say if he thinks things should change or get better and also play some pretty damn good golf while he is doing it. He just has to stay patient, stay in it and keep putting himself in position. You can’t be this good of a player and continue to do it and not get it done eventually.”
McIlroy was second in hitting greens in regulation to only Bryson DeChambeau but only one player (Jamie Rutherford) took more than his 36 putts in the final round. His average of 1.79 putts per hole over four days left him tied 55th in the putting stats.
He played solidly and sensibly but still did not get the job done. Sir Nick Faldo said: “I am surprised. At the US Open I saw it in his eyes. I thought he was in the perfect place. “ Instead there will be more scar tissue from another Major near miss.
He has stopped playing himself out of contention with poor early rounds - like his opening 79 at Royal Portrush - or trash talking his opponents like Patrick Reed before the 2018 Masters final round. But this time he found another way not to close the deal as his conservative play lost a big lead like at the 2011 Masters.
McIlroy shot a final-round 64 at this year’s Masters to finish second when he had nothing to lose. Cameron Smith did it under pressure on Sunday. “He's come awfully close and played really well this year,” said Hovland of McIlroy. “It's tough. You've got to finish it off.”
McIlroy will return to action for the FedEx Cup playoffs next month but he must wait for the Masters in April for the next Major. “I'm playing well,” he said. “It's one of the best seasons I've had in a long time. Major season is over unfortunately, but I still feel like there's a little bit to play for."
