Højgaard wins Irish Open after late charge

Rasmus Højgaard holed out twice as he pipped local favourite Rory McIlroy to win the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down.

McIlroy looked on course to claim his first professional win on home soil when he led by two shots with four holes to play at a venue just an hour from where he grew up.

However, while Højgaard completed a superb closing 65 with four birdies in the last five holes, McIlroy crucially bogeyed the 17th and then agonisingly missed an eagle putt on the 18th which would have forced a playoff.

The world No 3 had taken a one-shot lead into the final round and made the ideal start with birdies on the 1st and 2nd.

With playing partner Matteo Manassero then dropping shots on the 3rd and 4th, McIlroy briefly enjoyed a four-shot lead before making a bogey on the 7th after failing to get up and down from left of the green.

McIlroy then missed from inside 10 feet for birdie on both the 8th and the 9th as Højgaard kickstarted his challenge with an outrageous chip-in for birdie on the 10th.

A birdie on the 11th edged McIlroy two in front again, but that advantage was wiped out as Højgaard birdied the 16th and McIlroy bogeyed the 15th.

Højgaard then dramatically holed out from a greenside bunker on the 17th and, although McIlroy drew level with a birdie on the 16th, the four-time Major winner charged his birdie putt on the 17th past the hole and missed the return.

Højgaard’s third birdie in a row on the 18th meant McIlroy needed to make an eagle on the same hole to force a playoff and a towering approach from 191 yards gave him a chance from 15 feet, only for the eagle putt to slide just wide.

South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen shared 12th position on one under after a final-round 73, with countrymen Casey Jarvis, Thriston Lawrence and Brandon Stone all on one over (T26).

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– Edited report from DP World Tour website

Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

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