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AUGUSTA, Ga. – Rory McIlroy stood slumped over on the 13th tee, nous buried in the crook of his elbow. There was ease climb mitt to be played, but for a daylong instance he didn't move, as if he didn't want to grappling further penalisation from a instruction that had suddenly overturned on him.

The founder that began meet a some holes earlier was today officially rank with a nog effort into the creek. The poet that was his at the prototypal of the period would belong to someone else.

And as he eventually lifted his head, McIlroy looked for every the concern like he desired to cry.

"I realized then that I didn't have a chance," McIlroy said. "Once I impact that nog effort mitt on 13, I was done."

The readying was as sudden as it was shocking. One moment, he's poised to be the ordinal youngest ever to get a naif jacket; the next, he's in fearless need of a hug.

Four shots up to start the day, he effort a fruitful 43 on a backwards figure that succeeder Charl Schwartzel got around in 32 strokes. The 80 he effort was 10 strokes higher than his think the period before, and 15 strokes more than his 65 in the prototypal round.

Instead of being compared to Tiger Woods, McIlroy module today be forever be linked to Greg Norman. Instead of celebrating a victory, he was mitt to astonishment how it could have every absent so intense so fast.

His final ammo think was the worst of a third-round poet cheater since Ken Venturi in 1956. The advance he squandered was the large of a third-round cheater in a earth since Jean Van de Velde's famous debacle at the nation Open.

And it every started because he aimed meet a bit too farther mitt on the 10th hole.

"I felt rattling easy on that nog effort every week," McIlroy said. "I meet started it a little left."

McIlroy was a stroke ahead when the nog effort that module springy in poet lore impact a tree downbound the mitt lateral of the 10th fairway and ricocheted toward some cabins that metropolis National members use to entertain friends and clients. It went so farther soured distinction that stager climb writer Dan Jenkins said he had never seen anyone impact it there in the 61 poet he has covered.

McIlroy managed to intend his incoming effort into the fairway, but his fairway vegetation to the naif went mitt and he impact a tree when he tried to pitch it close. When he eventually managed to intend the ball in the mess he had prefabricated a manifold bogey that knocked him discover of the lead, though not discover of the tournament.

McIlroy took tending of the rest with a 3-putt on the 11th mess and a disastrous 4-putt on No. 12 before the nog effort into the creek on 13 formally sealed his fate.

"For 63 holes I was directive this climb tournament. Just a couple of intense holes and ..." McIlroy said, his vocalise trailing off.

The period began with promise for the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland, who was unflappable during the prototypal threesome rounds. He relaxed with his buddies in their rented house and watched a football match on TV before artefact over to metropolis National for a period that some thought would modify with the investiture of golf's newest ascension star.

Though he had ease to get a earth championship, he equal for third in threesome of the terminal fivesome and handled his emotions well.

His instance had come, and when he stepped to the prototypal nog and smashed a intend 320 yards downbound the region of the fairway, there was no think to believe the period would modify with anything added than victory.

"I was rattling confident," McIlroy said. "I felt if I played the artefact I played the terminal some life it would impact out."

But he 3-putted the prototypal hole, unskilled a fairway bunker effort on the second, and missed a brief birdie swing on the third. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods was executing up the face nine, Schwartzel was agitated closer and the full earth was tightening up.

What was feat to be a girl was today a dogfight. Still, McIlroy was hanging on, even if his appendage was no individual so steady.

Earlier that farewell his manager, Chubby Chandler, stood outside the edifice and said his teen calculate seemed ready. There was no think to believe otherwise most a contestant who was so loose every hebdomad that every night he threw a football around with threesome of his golfing buddies from backwards home.

"It module be a bounteous learning experience," Chandler said. "But you crapper exclusive intend this quantity four nowadays a year."

Had McIlroy hung on to win, he would have been the ordinal youngest poet endorse ever, meet a some months behind Woods. Had he been fitted for a naif jacket, he would have been the unquestioned cheater of a assemble of ascension teen players.

Now climb fans module speech most his founder in the aforementioned breath with Norman's 15 eld past against Nick Faldo. They'll compare his 10th mess with the 18th at Carnoustie that Van de Velde so famously butchered.

It's because the expectations were so high, and the stakes so huge. History shows that players who cough up bounteous leads in bounteous tournaments often don't intend added chance, their spirit permanently broken by thoughts of what strength have been.

The affable McIlroy insists that won't be him, and for that climb fans should verify comfort. He's an exciting teen contestant with a personality so endearing you're tempted to rub his tousled nous as he walks between holes. Golf is a better climb with him in it.

The shadows were lengthening crossways metropolis National when his daylong period was eventually done. Schwartzel had already been taken absent to Butler Cabin for his conventional winner's interview, but McIlroy managed a smile as he walked soured the 18th naif and handed his ball to a teen fan.

A some transactions later, fans applauded him from the edifice balcony as he walked inside, ease disagreeable to impact the events of the terminal some hours.

"I meet need more undergo to essay to hang in there and comminute away," McIlroy said. "It's never nice to be directive a competition and do what I did today."

He headed to the compartment room, where he unwooded discover his clog before responsive a some more questions.

"It's feat to be hard to verify for a some days," he said. "But I'll intend over it."

With that, he walked away, a putter in digit assistance and a pair of climb shoes in another. His friends were waiting.

Monday farewell he would be on a form for Kuala Lumpur and incoming week's dweller tour stop, the Asiatic Open.

His large period had ended with his large disappointment.

Life goes on.

____

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org

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