SPORTS INSIDER – Rory McIlory wins British Open; Tiger Woods looks towards future

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Rory McIlroyCeci Ferrara
July 21, 2014
Sports Writer
Sports Insider

A few years ago Rory McIlroy was a young, relatively unknown golfer from Ireland. Today, he is one of golf’s rising stars, and as of Sunday, can add the Claret Jug to his list of accomplishments.

“I feel like I’ve come a long way in the past 18 months,” McIlory said after his victory. “A lot has happened to me. My determination and hard work has really paid off.”

At just 25, McIlroy has now won three of the four major tournaments. After winning the U.S. Open in 2011, he won the PGA Championship the following year. On Sunday, he added the British Open. “It’s pretty hard to describe right now, to be honest,” he said. “All I know is that I’ve won my third major championship, and I’m three legs going towards the fourth towards a career grand slam at 25. I’m feeling pretty good right now.”

With the victory, he joins Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as only the third golfer to win three legs of the grand slam. McIlroy has yet to conquer the Masters, in which he finished 8th earlier this year.

Sunday’s win wasn’t a run-away for the Irish star, as he experienced during his previous major victories. After he birdied on the first hole, he made two bogeys in the following five. That allowed Sergio Garcia — who had been trailing by seven — to pull within two on the back nine. Yet, after Garcia had a bunker shot on No. 15, McIlroy finished birdie-par-par on the final three holes to finish the day on top. He shot 71 to win by two.

Garcia tied for second with Rickie Fowler, while Jim Furyk took fourth and Marc Lesihman rounded out the top five.

Noticeably absent from the leader board was three-time British Open winner Tiger Woods. Though Woods, who made just his second PGA tour appearance since back surgery, made Sunday’s cut, by the end of the day he wasn’t even in contention. He finished near the bottom of the pack, in 69th place.

Though he expected to be rusty, he was still anticipating a better performance from himself.
“I was certainly expecting it yes,” Woods said, “but I just thought that I know how to play links golf. I know how to grind it on these golf courses, and hitting the shots I thought I could get around here. I did the first day. After a bad start I got it back. And unfortunately, as I said, I made too many mistakes with the doubles and triples.”

Though he hasn’t had the results he’s wanted since his return — he didn’t make the cut in last month’s Quicken Loans National — he remains confident that he will improve, and start looking more like his former self. For him game time, and hard work, is the answer.
“I’ve got more game time under my belt,” Woods said. “Obviously there are a lot of things I need to work on, but I haven’t been able to work on a lot. I was down for three months. So I’m just now starting to come back.”

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