Rory McIlroy Has 'the Most Frustrating 4 Under' Round, but Still in Irish Open Hunt

Amid tough conditions, McIlroy left a few short on the greens, leaving him four back of the Irish Open lead entering Sunday.

Rory McIlroy is looking for his first win since the Masters at the Irish Open. / Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Walking off the 18th green in the third round of the Irish Open, Rory McIlroy made a stunning admission. 

“I said to [caddie Harry Diamond], ‘This is probably the most frustrating 4 under par round of golf I’ve played in a while,’” McIlroy said afterward. “I had plenty of chances. It got gusty at the end. I felt like I gave myself a lot of chances, hit some good putts that didn’t go in.”

The Northern Irishman, who shot a bogey-free, third-round 68, now heads into the final day T4 at 11 under, four back of Adrien Saddier’s lead. 

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McIlroy is ranked 46th in the field in strokes-gained putting, missing several birdie attempts on the back nine and a 27-footer for eagle on the par-5 18th that stopped a foot short of the cup. 

However, McIlroy and the rest of the field had a wrench thrown into Saturday’s round. 

“I hit it good off the tee again,” said McIlroy, who leads the tournament in strokes-gained off the tee, “but the wind caught me out a couple of times. Whenever it was—I think what’s hard as well is the greens are so soft, so you’re trying to take balls out of the air so they don't spin as much. But then, if it’s dying wind, you’re not getting the effect of the wind, so you’re playing for wind, but it’s not really effective. 

“It was hard to judge a little bit today. I did my best. The wind caught me out a couple of times.”

Despite the conditions and a lackluster day on the greens, the five-time major champion is still in contention to notch his first victory since the Masters. And he likes his chances. 

“If I can hit it the same again like I’ve done the last couple of days, maybe see a couple more putts go in tomorrow,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll be right there.”