Local favorite Rory McIlroy expressed deep disappointment after narrowly missing out on his first professional win on home soil at the Amgen Irish Open, where Dubai Duty Free are supporsponsorrs.
Despite leading by two shots with four holes to play at Royal County Down, Northern Ireland, just an hour from his childhood home, McIlroy was overtaken by Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard, who delivered a stunning late surge.
Højgaard, displaying remarkable poise under pressure, fired four birdies in the last five holes to card a brilliant final-round 65, claiming his fifth DP World Tour title. His victory catapulted him to second place in the Race to Dubai Rankings and secured the top spot in the European Ryder Cup standings.
While McIlroy’s near-miss was undoubtedly painful, he remained upbeat, vowing to take the positives from the experience and move forward.
“Felt like I was in control of the tournament for most of the day,” he said. “Felt like I was playing really solid, doing what I needed to do, making a lot of pars, making the odd birdie. Then obviously the two bogeys on 15 and 17 opened the door for someone to have a good finish like Rasmus did there on the last few holes.
“I played well this week, missing the green right on 15 was the place that you can’t go. And just misjudged the speed with the first putt on 17,” he added. “Overall, obviously really disappointed that I didn’t win but I’ll try to take the positives and move on next week to Wentworth.’
For Højgaard, the triumph cemented his reputation as one of Europe’s brightest young talents and added another thrilling chapter to the drama of professional golf.
World Number Three McIlroy had taken a one-shot lead into the final round and made the ideal start with birdies on the first and second. With playing partner Matteo Manassero (It) then dropping shots on the third and fourth, McIlroy briefly enjoyed a four-shot lead before making a bogey on the seventh after failing to get up and down from left of the green.
He then missed from inside ten feet for birdie on both the eighth and the ninth as Højgaard kickstarted his challenge with an outrageous chip-in for birdie on the tenth.
A birdie on the 11th edged McIlroy two in front again, but that advantage was wiped out as Højgaard birdied the 16th and McIlroy bogeyed the 15th.
Højgaard then dramatically holed out from a greenside bunker on the 17th and, although McIlroy drew level with a birdie on the 16th, the four-time Major winner charged his birdie putt on the 17th past the hole and missed the return.
Højgaard’s third birdie in a row on the 18th meant McIlroy needed to make an eagle on the same hole to force a play-off and a towering approach from 191 yards gave him a chance from 15 feet, only for the eagle putt to slide just wide.
Højgaard becomes the fourth Danish winner of the Amgen Irish Open, following in the footsteps of Søren Hansen, Thomas Bjørn and Søren Kjeldsen, who also lifted the trophy at Royal County Down in 2015.
McIlroy continues to dominate the Race to Dubai Rankings leading Rasmus Hojgaard by more than 1,500 points.
McIlroy is confirmed to play in both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, 7th – 10th November as well as the following week at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, at Jumeirah Golf Estates over the Earth course, 14th – 17th November, 2024.
Results
Irish Open
(7,186 Yards, Par 71).
Hojgaard (Den) 71. 68. 71. 65. 275.
McIlroy (NI) 68. 70. 69. 69. 276.
Manassero (It) 70. 66. 72. 69. 277.
Brown (Eng) 69. 70. 73. 66. 278.
Race to Dubai Rankings
(Following Irish Open).
McIlroy (NI).
Hojgaard (Den).
Lawrence (RSA).
Svensson (Swe).
MacIntyre (Scot).
Scott (Aus).
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