SOUTHPORT, England: Rory McIlroy has been down this road before — the thrill of being the Masters champion and not much else to celebrate the rest of the year. McIlroy was never part of the conversation at British Open — except for his critical comments of how Bryson DeChambeau handled a rules violation — and one last bogey gave him a 71 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 40th at Royal Birkdale. A year ago, when he won the Masters to complete his life goal of the career Grand Slam, he struggled to find the next mountain and never contended. This year, he had a chance Sunday afternoon at the PGA Championship but otherwise was middle of the pack. “This season feels very similar to last season,” McIlroy said.