Frequent faller Rory McIlroy must end up in the winner’s enclosure now

Golfing resilience is not only shown on a Sunday, when the chips are down and the yips are up and the focus is at its most forgiving. Simply the fact that Rory McIlroy is in contention again going into the final round should be celebrated.

Except the world No 3 knows that, for him, success is not measured by being in the mix but by being in the winner’s enclosure. And so for the second time in as many weekends he will attempt to remove the tag which he, himself, has recently pinned on his polo short — “The Nearly Man”.

McIlroy “nearly” won the US Open in June, “nearly” won the Scottish Open the next month and “nearly” won the Irish Open seven days ago, after standing two clear with four remaining. “It’s been a familiar story with my career,” he said, after a bogeyless 66 took him to 15-under and into a tie for second, three behind Matteo Manassero.

“I have setbacks and I usually come back pretty well from them. Some are harder than others, obviously, but I think in this game you have to recognise you’re going to lose a lot more than you win, and you have to accept that. I’ve definitely been on that accepting side this year.”

There is so much motivation for McIlroy to prevail and not just so he can switch the narrative on this second half of 2024.

“I am basically a Wentworth resident as we are having a house built here,” he said. McIlroy and wife Erica plan to base themselves in this exclusive estate, so that daughter Poppy can eventually attend school in Surrey. “It is a special place for me, as I came here as an 11-year-old to watch my heroes in the World Match Play.”

Major incentive

And therein lies another piece of incentive. The last and only time McIlroy lifted this title was in 2014 and a few months later he picked up his third and fourth majors at the Open and USPGA. A decade on and he remains stuck on four. This event — which holds ‘flagship” status on the DP World Tour — is batched in with that glorious summer and he might feel this would be an exorcism of at least one demon.

“I have come close here in recent years,” he said. “I finished second to Shane [Lowry] two years ago and there have been other good chances. I love it here and it would be amazing to get my name on the trophy again.”

Which leads us to the fans he wants to reward. If they were impressive last week at Royal County, they have been equally so here, particularly on this Saturday when there were regular downpours. Pros always say that the “galleries have been magnificent”, but this was anything but ingratiation on McIlroy’s behalf. They chanted “Rory, Rory, Rory” as he walked up the hill to the clubhouse in scenes that were akin to a major.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “Last week, this week, the Scottish Open, The Open... it’s just so good to come back here and play golf. I’ve really enjoyed it this year, more so than other years for whatever reason. I’ll be trying for that silverware, but the way Matteo is playing it will be tough.”

Manassero’s remarkable resurrection

If McIlroy’s resilience has manifested in rising so quickly whenever put down, Manassero has hauled himself from a sporting grave. A brilliant teenager, he became the youngest to win on the European Tour — as a 17-year-old at the Castello Masters — and then three years later prevailed in this tournament. The extraordinary highs kept coming when he climbed into the world’s top 25 as a 20-year-old.

However, as he strived for extra length, there followed what he called “the deep lows”. By 2018 he had lost his Tour card. By 2019, he had lost his card on the feeder Challenge Tour and by 2020, he was down in 1,805th in the rankings. This charming gentleman from Verona did not believe it was over and he has launched a remarkable comeback.

He broke his 11-year drought at the Jonsson Workwear Open and is in the top 10 of the Tour’s order of merit and within touching distance of returning to the all-important world’s top 50. This third-round 63 was merely the latest evidence of the staggering resurrection of a 31-year-old.

“What a story,” McIlroy said. “To be like a young [phenomenon] and then lose your game, and go play the Alps Tour and the comeback. I guess the character that you need to do that. [It’s] fantastic to see him back where he belongs.”

Yet another former champion in Billy Horschel will join McIlroy and Manassero in the final group and the American’s 65 — featuring seven birdies in a row — highlights his danger. For his part, McIlroy was due to go to Wembley last night to watch Anthony Joshua versus Daniel Dubois. Climbing off the canvas might never seem so apt.