Johnson Wagner has suggested what cost Rory McIlroy the chance to win the PGA Championship on Sunday at Aronimink, as he also explained what he found so impressive about his final round.
McIlroy went into Sunday in Philadelphia three shots off the lead. And with Alex Smalley the man leading the way, there seemed to be a fantastic opportunity for the Northern Irishman to win his seventh major title.
An early birdie felt like a statement. However, McIlroy would not manage to make another until the 14th hole. By that stage, his chances of victory were incredibly slim.
Johnson Wagner reacts to Rory McIlroy’s performance on Sunday at the PGA Championship
It seemed that McIlroy just did not have the ability to find that extra gear that has helped inspire his Masters victories in each of the last two years.
Even when the 37-year-old managed to smash a 379-yard drive down the par five ninth hole, he failed to capitalise and walked away with a par.
Speaking on Scorecard on CBS Sports, Johnson Wagner explained what he saw after following McIlroy throughout the final day, including what prevented him from getting closer to eventual winner Aaron Rai.
“He just didn’t hit enough fairways. When you look at the easier holes as well, other than nine, I mean, he hit the fairway on nine and didn’t take advantage having that seven iron in hand, went left on 10. And he kept hitting incredible shots out of the rough. But when you’re coming out of the rough on this golf course, you have to be so defensive, you can’t put it in these bad spots,” he said.
“So, with Rory, he didn’t have many good looks for birdie today, and he kept having the same putt over and over again. It was 35 to 40 feet, and it was up to get up on top of a ridge. He just never had the looks. He played beautifully. He really did. For where he drove the golf ball, I was impressed by the way he only made the one bogey. 13 was catastrophic, guys. I mean, he had five wood in his hand and made bogey. And then, obviously not birdieing 16 and nine were massive as well.”
Rory McIlroy unable to find the magic that won him The Masters
McIlroy admitted that his short game probably won him The Masters. He was far from his best off the tee, but managed to get himself out of trouble on a number of occasions at Augusta National.
Unfortunately, he was unable to repeat the trick at Aronimink.
McIlroy’s biggest strength was his putting, as he gained 1.33 shots per round on the greens, according to Data Golf. Meanwhile, he lost 0.04 shots per round around the putting surfaces.
Aronimink was at its most brutal when players were missing the fairway. Meanwhile, the undulations of the greens made chipping extremely difficult.
There are positives to be taken, with McIlroy still finishing inside the top 10. But clearly, he will be frustrated that he was unable to make more of a charge on Sunday.