McIlroy misses the cut again

Associated Press

DUBLIN, OHIO

Rory McIlroy’s troubles in the Memorial on Friday began when he tried to play from the bank of a creek and the ball wound up going backward.

That’s about the direction of his game at the moment.

McIlroy missed the cut for the third straight time with a 7-over 79 in cool, blustery conditions at Muirfield Village. That shot from the creek led to a double bogey, and a double bogey three holes later with a tee shot into the water left him feeling as if nothing is going his way.

“I hit some good shots,” McIlroy said. “It just seems like every time I go out there, I make one or two big numbers and that sort of throws me — a couple doubles on the back nine. Just those big numbers at the beginning are killing me, and I just need to get those off the card and I’ll be OK.”

But with his title defense in the U.S. Open two weeks away, there is cause for concern.

It was only a month ago when McIlroy lost in a playoff at Quail Hollow and returned to No. 1 in the world. Since then, he missed the cut in The Players Championship, the BMW PGA Championship and the Memorial, which he considers one of his favorite courses.

The last time McIlroy missed three successive cuts was in August 2008 — the Swedish Masters, Dutch Open and Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles — when he was 19 and ranked No. 164 in the world.

McIlroy doesn’t feel as though he is that far off, but the frustration showed. Standing off to the side of the 17th green, he tilted his head toward the overcast sky, closed his eyes and exhaled heavily.

He waited his turn on the 18th tee with both hands thrust in his pockets, head bowed, the driver leaning against him.

“He’s obviously frustrated,” said Luke Donald, the world No. 1.