4/14/2013

McIlroy Masters Hits 79

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Rory McIlroy suffered another Masters meltdown as he crashed out of contention with a seven-over 79 on the third day at Augusta National.

The 23-year-old was only three off the lead after picking up an early birdie at the third, but his troubles began with a bogey at the seventh.

He dropped another shot at nine before hitting a short-iron approach into the lake at 11 as he ran up a triple-bogey, and he found water again at 15 to card his second seven in five holes.

Another dropped shot at 16 left him among the also-rans on five over par after a back-nine 42, and he said: "It's disappointing, especially after such a good start.

"I was only a few off the lead going into seventh hole and then all of a sudden I play seven through 11 in five over par and basically my chances in the tournament are gone.

"So it's very disappointing. I feel like I was playing well and feel like I have been playing well coming in here. It's just a frustrating day.

"The wind switched on me at 11. It comes up short in the water and I take seven there. And I never recovered from that.

"The same sort of thing happened on 15. I felt like I hit a good second shot in, the wind gusts back into me, it pitches on the green, but it comes back in the water.

"The margins are very small on this course and when you get on the wrong side of some of these slopes, you can't help but get a penalty. A couple of missed shots here and there and I was done in on 11 and 15.

"I feel like I played smart enough. I'm playing it the way I know you should play it. I'm not taking too much on, I'm not being too defensive.

"I feel like my strategy's right, it's just sometimes if your execution is just that little bit off you pay a big price for it."


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