Gracious in defeat / McIlroy admits he was 'beaten by the better player.' - The 150th Open

2022年07月19日

28歳のキャメロン・スミス（オーストラリア）がゴルフの聖地、セントアンドリュースでメジャー初優勝を飾りました。8年ぶりのメジャー制覇を狙ったロリー・マキロイ（北アイルランド）は単独首位で後半に入りましたが、3位で終えました。「ドアをノックし続けるだけで、やがてドアが開きます。私は自分自身をその場に置き続けなければなりません。」今日はなんだかマキロイの話を聞きたいです。みなさんはいかがですか？ (English) 28-year-old Cameron Smith (AUS) won his first major championship at St. Andrews, the holy land of golf. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), aiming for his first major championship in eight years, entered the second half of the tournament as the sole leader but finished in third place. He said, "You must keep knocking on the door, and eventually, it will open. I have to keep putting myself in that spot." I would like to listen to McIlroy today. How about you guys?

Gracious in defeat / McIlroy admits he was 'beaten by the better player.'

Rory McIlroy admitted he was beaten by the better player in The 150th Open.

He saw his dream of a second Claret Jug slip away on a dramatic Sunday at St Andrews.

McIlroy began the final round with a share of the lead.

But he was playing catch-up down the back nine courtesy of a remarkable run of five straight Cameron Smith birdies from the 10th.

The 2014 Champion did not drop a shot throughout his final round.

But could not make the birdies required to turn the tide back in his favor.

His approach shots left him too much to do on the green as countless putts stopped just short or slid past the cup.

He went down the last needing an unlikely eagle shot.

And the game was up when his aggressive chip raced past the flag, leaving McIlroy to sign for a two-under-par 70 and reflect on his latest near-miss.

"I didn't do much wrong today, but I didn't do much right either," he said.

"It's just one of those days where I played a controlled round of golf.

I did what I felt I needed to just apart from capitalizing on the more accessible holes -- around turns 9, 12, and 14."

"If I had made the birdies there from good positions, it probably would have been a different story."

"But, look, I got beaten by a better player this week.

20-under par for four rounds of golf around here is impressive playing.

Especially to go out and shoot 64 today to get it done."

"I wish I had hit it closer with some approach shots.

And I wish I'd have holed a couple more putts.

I missed an opportunity on 3.

I had sort of half looks on 6 and 9."

"The putter went a little cold today compared to the last three days. "

"I tried to stay as patient as possible and kept hitting good putts.

They weren't dropping."

McIlroy's fourth top-five finish since his Royal Liverpool success completed a first top-10 clean sweep across majors in a calendar year will do little to satisfy a player who retains an insatiable appetite for success.

He had the crowd on his side at St Andrews.

And they rode every wave with the 33-year-old throughout four days, seeing him in contention from the outset.

With McIlroy admitting, he dared to visualize standing on the 18th green as Champion once more.

"I'm only human. I'm not a robot," he said.

"Of course, you think about it, envision it, and want to envision it."

"My hotel room is opposite the giant yellow board on 18, right of the 1st.

And every time I go out, I'm trying to envision McIlroy as the top name on that leaderboard and how that felt.

"At the start of the day, it was at the top, but at the beginning of tomorrow, it won't be.

So you've got to think about it and what it would be like."

10)

"But once I was on the golf course, it was a task, trying to play the best golf I possibly could."

"I can't be too sad because of how this year's going.

I'm playing some of the best golf I've played in a long time."

11)

"It's just a matter of knocking on the door, and eventually, one will open. "

"I've just got to keep putting myself in position, keep putting myself in there."

12)

"Whenever you put yourself in that shining light, you'll have to deal with setbacks and failures. Unfortunately, today is one of those times."

"But I just have to dust myself off and come again, keep working hard, and keep believing."

Ref)

28-year-old Cameron Smith (AUS) won his first major championship at St. Andrews, the holy land of golf.

He started the day in 3rd place, four shots behind the leader, and shot a 64 with eight birdies and no bogeys.

He shot a 20-under total and edged the rest of the field by one stroke.

It was his 6th win on the PGA TOUR.

He is the Australian to win the British Championship since Greg Norman in 1993.

He broke Tiger Woods' record of 19 underscores in 2000.

Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), aiming for his first major championship eight years after leading the field at 16-under, entered the second half of the tournament as the sole leader.

However, he could not improve his two-birdie "70" and finished in third place at 18-under.

Cameron Smith won his first major championship at St. Andrews, surpassing Woods at 20-under V.

https://news.golfdigest.co.jp/pga/7422/article/148119/5/

Gracious in defeat / McIlroy admits he was 'beaten by the better player.' - The 150th Open