Rory McIlroy was understandably upset after he failed to make the cut at the Open Championship but thanked his home fans for the support they showed him.
Speaking to Off the Ball, McIlroy spoke about how it felt to come back home to play in a major tournament after spending so much of his time abroad in recent years.
“I don’t get back home as often as I used to and when I’m playing in the States or wherever I’m playing in the world it’s hard to feel that support from your home people I guess. To feel that over the last two days,” McIlroy said.
The Holywood native suffered a horrific first round after he shot an eight over par 79. McIlroy did bounce back on the second day, finishing 14 shots better than the day before.
Ultimately it was not enough for the Northern Irishman to make the cut as he finished two over par, only one shot off the required score to make it to the weekend.
Build up to the Open
Before the tournament started, McIlroy admitted that he couldn’t wait to play at Portrush, where his dad took him as a 10th birthday present.
While he said he often feels pressure before the Irish Open, he insisted that he was treating the Open Championship the same as any other major tournament.
"I'm just treating this like any other Open Championship.
"I have played well the last few years, I've played well on this course, so I just need to hit the shots, stay in the present and put one foot in front of the other,” McIlroy said.
A fairy tale win just wasn’t to be however, and McIlroy thanked the fans for the support they showed him over the last two days.
"I didn't know how people were going to react to yesterday, how many people were going to be on the first tee. Is it just a lost cause? But to have that many people out there following me, supporting me, cheering my name - it meant the world to me,” McIlroy commented.
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