McIlroy major drought goes on after another near-miss

ST ANDREWS : The galleries had flocked to the Fife coast to witness Rory McIlroy's second British Open title, eight years after his first, but instead saw the Northern Irishman's major drought prolonged as Cameron Smith ripped up the script.

By the time McIlroy reached the 18th green he looked totally spent and the crowd deflated after his latest near-miss.

McIlroy has won four majors, the last coming at the PGA Championship in 2014, weeks after British fans had roared him to the open title at Hoylake.

So any suggestion the 33-year-old former world number one cannot get the job done would be churlish in the extreme.

But Sunday felt like a massive opportunity squandered as a two-under 70 closing round proved futile for McIlroy, who had begun the day four clear with Norway's Viktor Hovland, to hold off Smith who carded a sensational eight-under 64.

In the end McIlroy had to settle for third place behind American Cameron Young as his putter went cold.

"Disappointed obviously, I felt like I didn't do much wrong today, but I didn't do much right either," a frank McIlroy told reporters. "I played a really controlled round of golf.

"I did what I felt like I needed to just apart from capitalising on the easier holes - around the turn, 9, 12, 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. Twenty-under par for four rounds of golf around here is really, really impressive playing, especially to go out and shoot 64 today to get it done.

"The fans were unbelievably supportive, wish I could have given them a little more to cheer about."

Massive crowds lined the first fairway as McIlroy began his final round at just before 3pm local