The 18th hole at Royal County Down usually presents a closing birdie opportunity, a chance to remedy the challenging round you just faced. But with a 25-mile-per-hour wind racing down from the Mourne Mountains on Saturday, this closing par-5 played straight into the breeze, forcing players to hang on for dear life as they wrap up their day.
That’s what happened to Rory McIlroy, who bogied the 18th after hitting a quasi-shank. After going wayward off the tee, McIlroy could not find the fairway with his layup, as his second shot nestled down on a sidehill. His third shot went off the toe of his wedge, and he failed
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