HOYLAKE, England — Sergio Garcia was close in a British Open. Again.
Sunday was the eighth time in Garcia’s career he finished in the top 10 of an Open, falling two shots short of winner Rory McIlroy.
Much the way Rickie Fowler did Saturday, Garcia, who started Sunday seven shots back, had his chances to catch McIlroy.
But they essentially ended when he took two shots to get out of a green-side pot bunker on the 15th hole, taking bogey and falling three shots back of McIlroy.
“Both Rickie and I, we tried to push him as hard as we could,’’ Garcia said. “It’s not easy when you know that you can’t make any mistakes. There’s so many things that have to go right for you to be able to get as close. I needed to shoot at least 8- or 9-under. We gave it a good effort and there was someone a little bit better.’’
Garcia shot a 6-under 66, finishing the tournament at 15-under and tied with Fowler for second.
Fowler left Royal Liverpool encouraged by his performance, despite failing to catch McIlroy.
“Two words to sum it up: Ryder Cup,’’ Fowler said. “Going into the year the goal was to be in contention at majors and play well and have chances to win. And with the good play, the long-distance goal on that was to be on the Ryder Cup team. With the way I’ve played in the majors this year, that’s definitely what has given me the opportunity to represent the country and play in the Ryder Cup.’’
As McIlroy was walking off the 16th tee, a spectator yelled, “Don’t crumble, Rory,’’ and was escorted off the grounds by police.
“He was giving me grief all day, actually,’’ McIlroy said. “I sort of put it up for the first 15 holes, and then he deliberately coughed on my downswing on the 16th tee. I still hit a great drive, but I heard it halfway down and I knew who it was. So I turned around and got him chucked out, thankfully.
“I don’t know who it was, but I didn’t have him bothering me for the last two holes, which was nice.’’
McIlroy acknowledged the 400 pound bet his father, Gerry, was a part of 10 years ago with 500-1 odds that he would win a British Open by the age of 25.
“Honestly, that 50 grand that he’s going to win, he doesn’t care about as much as the other three friends that he did that with; they’re going to be very happy,’’ he said. “He’s never reminded me. I knew that he’d done it. I’m not sure if it will pay out. If it does, it’s a nice little bonus.’’
All week, McIlroy referred to two trigger words he was using to help him on the golf course. After he won, he revealed them.
“I wasn’t thinking about holing it. I wasn’t thinking about what it would mean or how many further clear it would get me. I just wanted to roll that ball over that spot. If that went in, then great. If it didn’t, then I’d try it the next hole. So ‘process’ and ‘spot,’ that’s all I kept telling myself all week.’’
In an interesting twist of fate, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, McIlroy’s fiancé until he broke it off a couple months ago, won the Istanbul Cup, her first victory of the year, on Sunday.