McIlroy backs Wolff for future success after U.S. Open bid falls short

[September 21, 2020]    (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy is confident Matthew Wolff will have many more opportunities to win a major after the American's U.S. Open bid unravelled in Sunday's final round.

Matthew Wolff waves after putting out on the 17th green during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Winged Foot Golf Club - West. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

Wolff, who was bidding to become the first debutant to win the tournament since 1913, headed into the final round with a two-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau but three bogeys in the front nine tripped him up early.

Two bogeys and a double-bogey over the back nine sealed the 21-year-old's fate as he carded a five-over-par 75, 10 strokes more than his score the previous day.

"It's not as if he blew up like I did and was going to shoot 80, like what I did at Augusta," said McIlroy, referring to his collapse at the 2011 Masters where he entered the final round with a four-shot lead but finished 10 strokes behind champion Charl Schwartzel.

"I probably thought that, if he went out there in today's conditions and shot a couple over par, that he'd win the tournament.

"He's resilient. He'll have plenty more chances," added the Northern Irishman, who finished in a share of eighth place.

(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.