Column: This 1 may 傷つける even more for Rory McIlroy

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - It wasn't the 崩壊(する) from seven years earlier, far from it.

The way things 広げるd for Rory McIlroy on Sunday at the Masters, though, it may 結局最後にはーなる 傷つけるing even more.

History was at 火刑/賭ける, along with the green jacket. If McIlroy could bring it home in the final pairing with Patrick Reed he would become only the sixth man to 完全にする the career Grand 激突する, joining 指名するs that will long live in ゴルフing lore.

Patrick Reed, left, is congratulated by Rory McIlroy after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Patrick Reed, left, is congratulated by Rory McIlroy after winning the Masters ゴルフ tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

But once again McIlroy's putter 冷静な/正味のd off and he fell flat when it 事柄d most.

And once again he was left standing と一緒に the 18th green while another player celebrated a Masters 勝利,勝つ.

He was so の近くに that he had a short eagle putt that could have tied him for the lead on the second 穴を開ける. But after 行方不明の it he never really looked the same again.

"It wasn't as if 神経s got to me," McIlroy 主張するd. "I just didn't qui te have it."

By the time McIlroy's day mercifully ended, the bounce in his step was gone, 取って代わるd by a dejected look and 低迷ing shoulders. He 調印するd for a 2-over 74 that left him tied for fifth, six 発射s 支援する.

It also left him shaking his 長,率いる, trying to 人物/姿/数字 out why it all went so bad.

"Of course it's 失望させるing," McIlroy said. "It's hard to take any 肯定的なs from it 権利 now, but at least I put myself in the position. I didn't やめる do enough. But, you know, come 支援する again next year and try."

If it wasn't 2011, it was another 抱擁する 適切な時期 frittered away. McIlroy didn't blow a four-発射 lead in the final 一連の会議、交渉/完成する like he did then, but he did blow another 抱擁する 適切な時期.

A day earlier he 発射 65 and 問題/発行するd a 隠すd 警告 to Reed that three 発射s was nothing on a Sunday afternoon at the Masters. He said he couldn't wait to tee it up in the final group.

"It's the last 一連の会議、交渉/完成する of a major 選手権, and we're both going for...," McIlroy said, 明確に 確信して after his third 一連の会議、交渉/完成する. "Patrick is going for his first and I'm going for something else. It's going to be good fun."

It turned out to be no fun for McIlroy. It was Reed, who would 扱う the 圧力 for his first major 勝利,勝つ, not the Irish player with four major 肩書を与えるs already in his 陳列する,発揮する 事例/患者.

"I played some 広大な/多数の/重要な ゴルフ yesterday," McIlroy said. "I just didn't continue that ゴルフ into today."

The matchup of Reed and McIlroy in the final group had drawn comparisons to their Ryder Cup match at Hazeltine in 2016, when they 貿易(する)d birdie after birdie before Reed walked off with a 1-up 勝利,勝つ. Unlike that 対決, where Reed was 支援するd by a 抱擁する (人が)群がる 詠唱するing "USA, USA," McIlroy was the favorite の中で the final day (人が)群がる.

Reed didn't mind that because he thought it was McIlroy who would be feeling the heat, not him.

"Honestly, I felt like a lot of that 圧力 was 肉親,親類d of 解除するd and 肉親,親類d of taken off of me," Reed said. "The fans, yes, were 元気づける for me, but some of them were 元気づける more for Rory. At the same time, you had a lot of the guys 選ぶing him to 勝利,勝つ over me, and it's just 肉親,親類d of one of those things that the more 肉親,親類d of chatter you have in your ear and about 期待s and everything, the harder it is to play ゴルフ."

It looked hard for McIlroy, who 押し進めるd his 開始 tee 発射 深い into the trees and made several unforced errors. Mostly, though, it was the putter that let him 負かす/撃墜する as he 行方不明になるd five putts within 10 feet.

And when the putts don't 落ちる on the final day, there's not a lot of excuses that can be made..

"I feel like 勢い is a 抱擁する thing, 特に in final 一連の会議、交渉/完成するs," McIlroy said. "You look at what Jordan (Spieth) and Rickie (Fowler) did. They got on a roll and I didn't. Patrick and I didn't at all. We were both around even par, and just sort of grinding out there. And it wasn't やめる what we both had in mind. He just hung in there a little bit better than I did and got the 職業 done."

It won't destroy his career because McIlroy is way too talented to 許す that. But it will likely 損失 his psyche.

A player has only so many chances to 勝利,勝つ the Masters, after all, no 事柄 how good he is. And McIlroy has now let not just one, but two, Masters get away from him in the final group.

Still, he said, he sees himself wearing a green jacket one day.

"Oh, yeah, 100 パーセント," he said. "I've played in two final groups in the last seven years, I've had five 最高の,を越す 10s. I play this ゴルフ course 井戸/弁護士席.

"I just 港/避難所't played it 井戸/弁護士席 enough at the 権利 time."

____

Tim Dahlberg is a 国家の sports columnist for The Associated 圧力(をかける). 令状 to him at tdahlberg@ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg

Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, play the eight hole during the fourth round at the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, play the eight 穴を開ける during the fourth 一連の会議、交渉/完成する at the Masters ゴルフ tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits on the fourth hole during the fourth round at the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, 攻撃する,衝突するs on the fourth 穴を開ける during the fourth 一連の会議、交渉/完成する at the Masters ゴルフ tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts to a missed putt on the 11th hole during the fourth round at the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, 反応するs to a 行方不明になるd putt on the 11th 穴を開ける during the fourth 一連の会議、交渉/完成する at the Masters ゴルフ tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts to a missed putt on the 13th hole during the fourth round at the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, 反応するs to a 行方不明になるd putt on the 13th 穴を開ける during the fourth 一連の会議、交渉/完成する at the Masters ゴルフ tournament Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

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