SOUTHPORT, England (AP) Rory McIlroy swiped the air with his putter and threw back his head in disgust after under-hitting a mid-range birdie putt on the 18th green at Royal Birkdale.
It was fitting. On a low-scoring day at the British Open, McIlroy came up short.
It all started so well for the Northern Irishman in his third round: A birdie from six feet at the first; back-to-back birdies on Nos. 4 and 5. A player who was racked with self-doubt when 5 over after six holes on Thursday was now 4 under for the tournament and only three shots off the lead on Saturday.