Rory McIlroy upbeat as Francesco Molinari wins the Open

Rory McIlroy was pleased to be back in the hunt for a major title despite ultimately missing out at the Open at Carnoustie.
Rory McIlroyRory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy

The former world number one, chasing his first major in four years, finished in a tie for second on six under, two shots behind winner Francesco Molinari.

McIlroy slipped back to three under early in his round but powered back into contention on a congested leaderboard, which included a rejuvenated Tiger Woods, with an eagle on the 14th.

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McIlroy said: “It was great, just to be a part of it and hear the roars, Tiger being back in the mix - everything.

“There were a lot of big names up there and it was nice to be a part of it.

“For a while, I thought Tiger was going to win and my mindset was, ‘go and spoil the party here’.

“It was cool, really cool. I have no regrets. I played the way I wanted to play this week and it gives me a lot of encouragement going into the final major of the year.”

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McIlroy was left to wonder what might have been after settling for pars on the last four holes but he feels his game is now in good shape.

The 28-year-old said: “I’m happy with how I played. I didn’t get off to a great start, but I hung in there, and I battled back. Just sort of ran out of holes at the end.

“I’ll look back at this week and be very encouraged about what I’ve done, and the golf that I played, and I feel like that will stand me in good stead for what’s coming up.”

And Molinari - who is the first Italian to win a major was delighted to have won at Carnoustie.

“I’m lost for words really,” said Molinari.

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“It’s incredible to do something like this and I’m very proud of what I’ve done.

“It’s amazing to stand here with the Claret Jug. I knew I was coming in with some good golf but my record around here was terrible so that didn’t make me too optimistic about the week, but I just tried to not think about it and focus on hitting good shots day by day.

“I am delighted to have won the Claret Jug.”