Rory McIlroy played a good but not great and certainly frustrating final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on Sunday.
McIlroy entered the day three shots off the lead, and he was among the favorites within striking distance. But McIlroy, like many of the other stars in contention — Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg — failed to make a run. He birdied the 2nd hole, parred 10 straight, then followed a bogey on 13 with a birdie on 14. Four straight pars closed his round. He shot 69 and finished four under overall, five back of winner Aaron Rai.
McIlroy’s round had few fireworks, although what happened on the par-5 16th hole on Sunday might qualify as such.
Three back at the time, McIlroy still had a chance to make a move, but he was short-sided from the rough and had a delicate pitch from 37 yards out and with a bunker to clear for his third shot. His ball landed above the bunker but short of his target and kicked back into the sand.
The CBS broadcast picked up mostly groans when the ball settled into the bunker, although one fan yelled, “U-S-A!”
McIlroy, staring in that direction, appeared to bark back, “shut the f— up.” He then pointed his wedge in the area of where he stared to alert security. It’s unclear if the fan was removed.
While this was no Bethpage Ryder Cup — where McIlroy and his wife were verbally abused so much that the PGA of America CEO apologized to them — McIlroy did hear “U-S-A!” chants during his time at Aronimink. The one that led to his reaction wasn’t the first time.
McIlroy got up and down from the bunker to save par. He tied for 7th.
“I think not birdieing the two par-5s and making the bogey at the drivable par-4 13th [was the difference between a good and great round],” he said afterwards. “To me I felt like I played the golf I needed to play the rest of the way. If I birdied the two par-5s and turned that 5 into a 3 on 13, the day looks very different.”
McIlroy said he plans to take the next couple of weeks off before playing the Memorial at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Unless he decides to play the RBC Canadian Open the week after, the Memorial will be his final tune-up before the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills on June 18-21.
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