Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot on the 2nd hole during the third round of the British Open Golf Championship in Carnoustie, Scotland. Photo / AP
Yesterday's round of 70 was typically fast and loose, containing five birdies and four bogeys, leaving the Ulsterman four shots off the leaders but Rory McIlroy has no intention of slowing down in his quest to end his four-year wait for a fifth major title.
McIlroy started the final round
firmly wedged in the chasing pack and is the one player Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele and Kevin Kisner will dread to see appear in their rearview mirrors.
From the moment he arrived in Scotland, McIlroy had vowed there would be none of the timidity or tentativeness he felt undermined his efforts at the Masters and US Open.
Live by the driver, die by the driver has become McIlroy's mantra in Carnoustie. And no one can accuse McIlroy of holding back. He routinely out-drove playing partner Schauffele by 100 yards but it was a spin of the wheel as to whether it found the fairway, the rough, or in the case of his tee shot on the third, a different fairway altogether.
"I felt like the course was perfectly set up to take advantage of it and attack it," said McIlroy. "I tried to do that for the most part. I'm obviously disappointed after the way I finished but I'm still in the tournament."
