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Rory McIlroy delivered the best performance of his professional career playing in his home country on Sunday, September 15. His runner-up finish at the 2024 Irish Open could have been even better, but McIlroy failed to convert an eagle opportunity on the 18th hole.
The sequence of his performance on the final hole of the tournament has been posted and reposted on several social media accounts. It has received tens of thousands of views across all platforms.
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McIlroy took a one-shot lead into the final round of the Irish Open at Royal County Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland. However, he could not hold on to his lead and reached the 18th hole two shots behind Rasmus Hojgaard.
The home favorite needed to eagle the par-5, 544-yard 18th to force a playoff with the Dane. He came close, hitting the fairway with a 342-yard drive and then reaching the green with a 193-yard second shot that left the ball 10 feet eight inches from the hole.
Rory McIlroy missed his eagle putt as the ball just missed the edge of the cup. He birdied the hole to give Hojgaard his fifth win on the DP World Tour.
Following his round, McIlroy had a conversation with the media about his missed putt on the 18th hole:
"I thought I hit the putt with good enough speed for it to sort of come down the hill a little more. It just hung up there. Maybe the wind had a little to do with that coming out of the left."
During the 2024 season, Rory McIlroy missed several putts that have become famous. At the U.S. Open, he missed a five-foot putt that would have forced a playoff with Bryson DeChambeau, while at the Dubai Invitational, he missed a putt under two feet to force a playoff with Tommy Fleetwood.
A look into Rory McIlroy's performance on home soil
The 2024 Irish Open was the fifth top-level event Rory McIlroy has played in Northern Ireland during his professional career. It is also the best finish of his career playing as a local.
McIlroy made his professional debut on home soil at the 2012 Irish Open at Royal Portrush. In that event, he finished T10 with a score of 11 under, seven shots behind winner Jamie Donaldson.
Three years later, McIlroy returned to the Irish Open, played at Royal County Down Golf Club (the same venue as 2024). On that occasion, he missed the cut with a 9-over score.
In 2017, the Irish Open was once again played in Northern Ireland, this time at Portstewart. Rory McIlroy was in the field but again missed the cut, this time with a score of 1 over.
In 2019, the 35-year-old returned to Royal Portrush, this time to play in the Open Championship. It was his third consecutive missed cut on home soil, with a score of even par.
