I’ll leave you with an image of the latest Irish Open champion – Rasmus Højgaard.
Next year, the competition returns to the K Club in Co Kildare. Keep the faith Rory.
So it’s another agonising finish for Rory McIlroy. He fought hard, but his putting for much of Sunday let him down.
On our winner, Rasmus Højgaard shot 6-under in the final round. A Sunday masterclass.
While disappointing from an Irish perspective, it is a thoroughly deserved victory for the 23-year-old.
Rory McIlroy can’t make the putt he needed. He birdies the final hole to finish 8-under.
Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark wins the 2024 Amgen Irish Open.
Matteo Manassero birdies the 18th to bring himself to 7-under, tied with Rory McIlroy in second. Dan Brown slips to fourth.
Rory McIlroy’s ball sits just over 10 feet from the hole on the 18th.
He needs to make the putt to bring himself back level with Rasmus Højgaard on 9-under.
Rory has the 8 iron out. He’s looking for the green and he’s found it beautifully.
Big cheer from the crowd.
One hole left to play and Rory McIlroy will need an eagle to win the 2024 Irish Open.
Another misfire with his putter on the 17th green ended in him having to settle for 1-over.
Højgaard had a go for the eagle on the 18th, but it’s just crept to the left of the hole. An easy putt for the birdie through, and he finishes with a final round of 65. He now leads on 9-under.
It’s up to you now Rory ...
Rasmus Højgaard hits a magic shot from the rough to just shy of the green. It’s a Par-5, so he could well pick up a shot here.
And exhale.. Rory McIlroy has taken a shot back on the 16th to return to 8-under and share the lead again with Højgaard.
The Dane has started on the final hole, finding the rough to the right of the fairway.
Rasmus Højgaard has birdied the 17th from the bunker!
He goes into the lead on 8-under. Rory McIlroy, now playing the 16th, is on 7-under.
A brave shot from Rory McIlory 181 yards from the pin on the 15th left him with some work to do.
He opted to aim for the flag, but the sloping green saw his ball down the hill. His subsequent chip back on to the green left him in need of a mammoth putt, which he couldn’t manage.
He drops a shot, and now he’s not tied for the lead with Rasmus Højgaard on 7-under after the Dane birdied the 16th.
One of Rory McIlroy’s challengers, England’s Dan Brown has played a final round of 66, leaving him on 6-under.
He very nearly made it 7-under, put an undercooked last putt meant it wasn’t to be.
All Brown can do now is wait. He currently shares second with Rasmus Højgaard and Matteo Manassero, while McIlroy is still two shots ahead.
Lucky for some as they say – Rory McIlroy’s currently playing the 13th. He hits a smashing shot to find the green, but the first putt attempt was a bit of an ask.
He sailed it a foot beyond the hole, sinking the second attempt to take par once again.
So Rory McIlroy is out in front with a few holes left to play, but the rest of the Irish contingent have made it back to the clubhouse.
Shane Lowry finished with a 3-under round of 68, putting him joint 10th as things stand. Seamus Power very nearly ended his Sunday with an eagle on the 18th, but the putt stopped just short to leave him 1-over for the day.
Seventeen-year-old Seán Keeling finished his final round 3-over, ending his debut Irish Open on 13-over, and Tom McKibben has just finished, ending his campaign on 2-over.
Back on the greens, McIlroy has finished the 12th on par. Still two shots ahead of Brown, Manassero and now Højgaard.
McIlroy’s birdied the 11th to push his lead back to two shots. He’s now 8-under.
It’s his first birdie since the second hole, and an important putt to restore his confidence after the 10th didn’t go his way.
Dan Brown is now thru 15 and he’s playing a stormer. The Englishman is 5-under for the day having got off to a dream start with an eagle on the opening hole.
Rasmus Højgaard is up to third after a magic shot from the hill overlooking the 10th hole.
The Dane found the hole directly from the rough to put himself just two shots off the lead.
So, as it stands – Rory McIlroy leads on 7-under, Dan Brown’s second on 6-under, and Rasmus Højgaard and Matteo Manassero are tied for third on 5-under.
McIlroy, joined by Italian Matteo Manassero, was last on the fairways today, teeing off shortly after 1pm.
The Holywood man led Manassero by on shot overnight but had extended his lead to three by the sixth on Sunday.
However, after dropping a shot on the seventh and a strong start to the back nine from England’s Daniel Brown to bring himself up to second, McIlroy’s lead is once again back to a single shot.
McIlroy’s just finished par on the ninth after his putt painfully swirled the hole to deny him the birdie.
Buckle up, there’s likely to be a tense finish to this Irish Open!
Afternoon all! Muireann Duffy here to take you through the back nine of the 2024 Amgen Irish Open taking place at Royal County Down.
Rory McIlory currently leads the pack, hunting for his second Irish Open title. If he claims it today it would also represent his first professional title win in Northern Ireland.
In his report on Saturday’s action, Philip Reid described McIlroy’s third round of 69 as “stubbornly and brilliantly executed”. Have a read of his report below to fill yourself in on how we ended up here.
[ Rory McIlroy leads Irish Open heading into final roundOpens in new window ]
Earlier, Shane Lowry ended his final round 3-under, putting him 1-under after the four days of play.
