Rory McIlroy: Shinnecock Hills ‘won battle over me’ at US Open, admits world number two

World number two Rory McIlroy said the Shinnecock Hills course “won the battle over me” after finishing six over par at the US Open.

Masters champion McIlroy carded a final round of 73, including three birdies and four bogeys, as his challenge for a second US Open title fell away.

The 37-year-old felt that a bad end to his Saturday, in which he finished on level par – seven adrift of leader Wyndham Clark after five bogeys – left him with too much to do in the final round.

“I think it [Shinnecock Hills] won the battle over me at this point. Looking back on the entire week, I will rue the back nine yesterday [Saturday],” McIlroy told BBC Sport NI’s Gavin Andrews.

“I got myself to two under par after nine yesterday and the wheels came off and I played a really bad back nine and shot myself out of the tournament, so was really disappointed coming away from the course last night.

“You try to come out here today positive and muster up the energy to put a good one in there and then [after] a couple of bogies on the front nine I was trying to race my way to the 18th green.”

McIlroy will now turn his attentions to events closer to home and is relishing the chance to play links golf at the Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Birkdale in July.

“It’s my favourite time of the year to go back home and play the Open and get to spend a bit of time back there,” he added.

“This was not too dissimilar to an Open Championship in how the golf course played over the weekend, but some links golf over the next couple of weeks will be nice.”