BAD luck rarely lasts, but Rory McIlroy will have to wait before getting back to winning ways after adding to the many near misses of late.
Just seven days ago, McIlroy was seen wincing at Royal County Down and grimacing whilst young Dane Ramus Hojgaard walked away with the title by one stroke.
Now, a week on, McIlroy could be seen disappointed again, having pulled back a three-shot lead from Matteo Manassero and lasted two gruelling playoff holes only to lose the BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy came into the final round three shots off his playing partner in Royal County Down and got off to a mixed start, shooting birdies on holes three and four but only after bogeying on two.
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McIlroy seemed to find his rhythm after this and settled into the round, before letting loose in the run-in.
Of the last six holes, the Holywood native managed to score two birdies and even an eagle on the 17th hole to push himself back into the top spot along with South African Thristan Lawrence and Billy Horschel.
Then the playoffs started, the first hole saw Lawerence and Horschel bunker and McIlroy make the edge of the green, Lawrence was out as he managed to put his chip-on into the water and the other two birdied to move onto the second paly-off hole.
At this point, McIlroy’s head must have been swimming with his recent results and the gruelling nature of the last four days of golf that led up to this point.
He waivered slightly on the tee although both players opted for safety on this drive, knowing that they just needed to outlast the other.
McIlroy managed to pull a wonder shot out of nowhere to make the green from 234 yards out from the pin.
Horschel matches McIlroy’s bet and also plants his shot on the green to make it a battle of short games once again.
McIlroy birdied his putt after just spinning away from an eagle to all but seal his first win at Wentworth since 2014, however this left Horschel with a window.
He knew what he had to do to keep the fight going.
The American, whose last win in Sussex in 2021, then made a sensational eagle putt to once again make McIlroy miss out on a win by the slimmest of margins.
McIlroy was once again pipped right at the death but in more agnising circumstances, it was another case of always the bridesmaid and never the bride for McIlroy, whose wait for a tournament win now goes to 11 tournaments and around four months.
