US Open: Rory McIlroy sets sights on ending major drought at The Open after runner-up finish

Wyndham Clark won the US at Los Angeles Country Club by one shot over Rory McIlroy on Sunday to claim his first major title; McIlroy will now take his search for elusive fifth major victory to The Open next month at Royal Liverpool, where he won in 2014

Rory McIlroy has already switched his focus to ending his major drought at The 151st Open next month after narrowly missing out on victory at the US Open.

McIlroy went into the final round at Los Angeles Country Club a shot off the lead and made the dream start to his Sunday with an opening-hole birdie, only to make 16 pars and a bogey over the remainder of his round to card a level-par 70 and finish a shot behind Wyndham Clark.

The Northern Irishman’s runner-up finish is his fourth consecutive worldwide top-10 but extends a winless major run that stretches back to the 2014 PGA Championship, with McIlroy now turning his attention to being ready for the final men’s major of the year at Royal Liverpool.

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Rory McIlroy missed out on a first major in nine years after falling one shot short in the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club, a number of near misses with the putter proved to be the difference.

“I’m getting closer,” McIlroy said. “The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it’s going to happen for me. Just got to regroup and get focused for Hoylake in a few weeks’ time.

“The last real two chances I’ve had at majors I feel like have been pretty similar performances, like St Andrews last year and then here. Not doing a lot wrong, but I didn’t make a birdie since the first hole today.

“Just trying to be a little more, I guess, efficient with my opportunities and my looks. When you’re in contention going into the final round of a US Open, I played the way I wanted to play. There were two or three shots over the course of the round that I’d like to have back.

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Rory McIlroy kept himself in touch with the leaders at the US Open with a very impressive two-putt from 90 feet for his par on the fifth hole during the final round.

“I’ll play Travelers [Championship] next week, I’ll play the Scottish Open, but I’m focused on making sure that I’m ready to go for Liverpool.”

McIlroy stays positive despite near-miss

The former world No 1 impressed from tee to green throughout the week, hitting 59 greens in regulation over the four rounds, with McIlroy struggling to adjust to the speed of the greens and experiencing a cold putter on the final day.

“I thought I did really well at executing my game plan, hitting a lot of fairways, hitting a lot of greens, again, what you should do at a US Open,” McIlroy added.

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Highlights of the final round from the 123rd US Open as Wyndham Clark held off Rory McIlroy to claim his first major win.

“If anything, I felt like over the last two days when the greens started to get quite crispy that my speed control was off a little bit, and I think that’s the reason I didn’t hole a lot of putts.

“I don’t think I was hitting bad putts, just hitting them with slightly the wrong speed. Some were coming up short, some were going a little long.

“I can play free and I think I proved that. Just felt like my speed control was a little off with the putter. That’s probably why I didn’t make a birdie since the first.

“When I do finally win this next major, it’s going to be really, really sweet. I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship.”

Watch Rory McIlroy in action this week at the Travelers Championship, live on Thursday from midday via the red button on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from 8pm.