Social media reacts to Rory McIlroy's Open Championship performance as wait for fifth major goes on

The 34-year-old knew he needed something special on the last day to end his nine-year wait for another major crown and threatened to produce it early on despite the adverse conditions, kicking off with three birdies from five holes.

However, that would be the highlight from his final round three-under, which earned him an overall finish of tied-sixth on six-under alongside playing partner Emiliano Grillo as the duo ended seven shots adrift of champion Harman.

Pundits, professionals and fans all gave their reaction to McIlroy’s performance with Sky Sports analyst Andrew Coltart claiming an “odd crazy little mistake” cost McIlroy a chance of competing.

"It's difficult to pick faults, I just see the odd crazy little mistake at the wrong time that creeps into his round,” he said. "Putter a little bit inconsistent.

"I keep getting drawn back to this incident that happened in 2015, he was a four-time major champion, came back to play The Open in Scotland and had injured his ankle playing football back home.

"People would think 'well it's alright he'll be back up and winning majors again in no time', 10 years down the line it halted the momentum and he's finding it difficult to get back in that winner's circle."

The Wandering Golfers praised McIlroy’s consistency but feel he has to find a way of producing more birdie putts under pressure if his major drought is to end.

"So, Rory McIlroy's major drought stretches into a 10th year but this was a seventh top-10 finish in his past eight majors,” they posted on Twitter. “He needs to find a way to get more of those birdie putts to drop but hard to criticise that kind of consistency.”

McIlroy won two of his four majors within two months of each other back in the summer of 2014 and Kayden believes if the Holywood native can get over the hurdle of winning a fifth then success could flow once again.

"He will win another,” they posted. “And when he does, I suspect he’ll win a few more afterwards.”

Martin thinks had McIlroy putted like winner Harman throughout the tournament then he would have repeated his 2014 victory at Royal Liverpool.

"He needs to be tighter with his irons and especially wedges when it matters and he needs to hole more putts inside 10 feet,” he said on Twitter. “If he had putted like Harman he would have won easily.”

Alec questioned if McIlroy will win again, comparing his age to some others that failed to lift majors in their mid-thirties.

"It's maybe just the natural way of things,” he said. “Seve won his last major aged 31, Watson at 33.

"Folk winning big in middle-age is quite unusual. Nicklaus etc are the outliers.

"And sport is full of stories of people who achieved early. But early glory is still glory.”

Mark believes McIlroy just needs to keep producing what he has been at recent majors and the tide will turn.

"Top 10 in seven of the last eight majors,” he said. “That’s awesome. He’s doing nothing wrong.”