Monday 11 April 2016 01:25, UK
Rory McIlroy's quest for a career Grand Slam will go on for another year after a final round 71 was not enough to make a Sunday charge at the Masters.
The Northern Irishman followed Saturday's disappointing round of 77 with a one-under-par round that was not enough to get him among the leaders on a dramatic final day at Augusta.
McIlroy began his round with a bogey on the first before bouncing back with the first of seven birdies of the day, but five other dropped shots made for a mixed bag of a card.
Having already claimed US Open, Open and US PGA titles, McIlroy is just one short of the career Grand Slam and he admitted he needs to overcome a "mental hurdle" to finally conquer Augusta National.
"I was in a great position going into the weekend, a shot back in the final group on Saturday, and I just didn't play the golf I needed to when it really mattered," he said. "That's the thing I take away not just from this week, but from previous Masters.
"I've been in position before and haven't got the job done when I needed to and I don't think it is anything to do with my game, I think it's more me mentally and I'm trying to deal with the pressure of it and the thrill of the achievement if it were to happen. That's what is really holding me back.
"So the more times I can get in position to win this tournament, the more times I'll learn and I'll know what not to do. I feel like I learned a lot on Saturday, and hopefully I can do things differently.
Asked what he would reflect on, he replied: "Just how I played, and how I felt. I felt very tentative, played very defensively, and it was similar to how I felt during the last round at Doral, playing with the lead.
"I was just trying not to make mistakes rather than attack and make birdies. That's not my game, that's not what I do. If I could have Saturday back, that's what I would do differently.
"This is the major I haven't won and it's the one I want more than anything else. Once I overcome that mental hurdle that I'm struggling with at the minute, then I know how to play this course. I've played very well here before, and I can string good rounds together here."
