For three rounds, he had played the tournament of his life, so much so one would have been forgiven for believing Shane Lowry’s four-shot lead going into the final of the US Open may just have been enough to see him past the winning post. Couldn’t he count on the fact he had already beaten this field last year when winning the World Golf Championship in Ohio?

If Rory McIlroy was still at school, then his report card after yesterday’s disastrous round of 77 would simply have said: Must try harder.

Traditionally, the US Open is billed as the game’s ultimate golfing test. With good reason. The course set up by the USGA demands a layer of strategy and respect that is way above that which most touring professionals would ever bring to their normal weekly routines.

Donald Trump must surely be counting the financial cost to his golfing empire after recent events, writes John McHenry.

For as long as I can remember, Connacht have always been little more than an afterthought in Irish sporting life, but the manner of the rugby team’s achievements this year, culminating in last weekend’s stunning success in the Pro 12 final, suggests they are now firmly leading the way in establishing a compact and sustainable business model for many of the financially dependant provinces.

If there’s one part of Rory McIlroy’s sensational game that most often lets him down, then it’s his putting and last week was much of the same, writes John McHenry.

At times yesterday at the K Club, you might have got the impression Rory McIlroy was annoyed by what the weather was doing to his tournament, but the on-off nature of this Irish Open only added to the drama on a day McIlroy struggled for so long to find the killer punch that would secure him his first title.

It’s a road well-travelled, but the life of a rookie transitioning from the amateur to the professional ranks, like we see with our own Paul Dunne and Gary Hurley this week, is tumultuous at best.

Rory McIlroy will have returned to Ireland over the past couple of days with a lot on his mind.