Rory McIlroy 'probably regrets' comment he made at The Open as fellow star issues apology
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler proved why he is considered the best player on the planet by winning The Open at a canter. The Texan won his fourth major with a four-shot victory over nearest challenger Harris English, while Rory McIlroy had to settle for a T7 finish with Robert Macintyre.
It was another tournament that wasn't without its challenges for the Northern Irishman, who has struggled to show his best form since completing his career grand slam earlier in the year. As can be the case, McIlroy's words and opinions saw him talk his way into this weekend's headlines.
He was particularly complimentary to Scheffler, who was in a world of his own at Royal Portrush.
Now the major is over, Mirror Sport takes a look at the biggest talking points, including something McIlroy may regret.
Comment Rory McIlroy 'probably regrets'
While McIlroy was six strokes behind Scheffler, he started waxing lyrical about the world No. 1. Despite the fact they are often the two favourites going into competitions at present, McIlroy is often complimentary about his rival. However, his previous comments raised some eyebrows.
Speaking before the final round, McIlroy, when prompted about Scheffler's form, said: "Whenever you're trying to chase down a guy like that, it's hard to do. He's incredibly impressive. Yeah, look, Scottie is, it's inevitable."
McIlroy's comments quickly found their way into the headlines, so much so that McIlroy's close friend Shane Lowry believes he probably regrets his words. On McIlroy calling Scheffler's triumph "inevitable", the Irishman said: "I saw that interview, and I thought he probably regrets saying that word."
The Open prize money
McIlroy's efforts saw him take home a prize of around £336,000. It's a handsome figure, but it is still dwarfed by the cheque Scheffler took home.
The world No. 1 earned £2.3million for his exceptional efforts in Portrush, taking his career earnings to a monstrous £68m.
Meanwhile, McIlroy's finish took his career earnings to £79.56m. He is edging closer to the £80m mark and is now around £9.67m away from Tiger Woods' all-time figure of £89.9m.
Scottie Scheffler's reaction to Tiger Woods comparison
Speaking of Woods, Scheffler was recently compared to the golfing great after another stunning triumph. Lowry, who was partnered up with Scheffler at The Open, compared him to the 15-time major winner after watching him from close range. The 2019 Open champion said: "I played with him the first two days and, honestly, I thought he was going to birdie every hole. It was incredible to watch."
Lowry also said: "I think if Scottie's feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott's, we'd be talking about him in the same words as Tiger Woods. I just think because it doesn't look so perfect, we don't talk about him like that. I think he's just incredible to watch, and his bad shots are really good. That's when you know he's really good."
However, Scheffler rolled his eyes at the Woods comparison and said: "I still think they're a bit silly. Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf.
"He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf. I don't focus on that kind of stuff."
Wyndham Clark apology
It was recently revealed that Wyndham Clark has been banned by Oakmont Country Club for causing damage at the US Open. Clark missed the cut at the Major in Pittsburgh and reacted furiously be damaging a locker in a huge outburst.
A letter by club president John Lynch said Clark will be banned until he pays for damages, makes a "meaningful contribution" to a selected charity and undergoes counselling or anger management training. Clark made a start by apologising for his behaviour at the venue, which will next host the US Open in 2033.
After finishing fourth at The Open, the Colorado ace said: "I did something awful, and I'm really sorry for it. Hopefully, they have it in their heart to forgive me, and maybe in the future I'll be able to play there. It's a fantastic course and place. But that's up to them.'
He added: "I feel terrible about what happened. I'm doing anything I can to try to remedy the situation. Obviously it's a no-brainer to pay for the damages. That was a given. Then the apologies, and I want to give back to the community because I hurt a great place in Pittsburgh. I wanted to do anything I can to show them that what happened there was not a reflection of who I am and won't happen again. I want to show them who I really am."
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