The Open 2011: Rory McIlroy will not alter his style to suit tournament

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Rory McIlroy
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McIlroy was seven over for his final two rounds at Sandwich

Rory McIlroy has insisted that he will not change his game to suit the Open after finishing seven over at Sandwich, 12 shots behind champion Darren Clarke.

The US Open champion fought his way back to level par after a second round 69 but had a 74 and 73 at the weekend.

"My game is suited for basically every golf course and most conditions, but these conditions I don't enjoy playing in really," the 22-year-old said.

"There's no point in changing your game for one week a year."

McIlroy's mood was not helped on the seventh green in the final round when the wind blew his ball as he was addressing a birdie putt, prompting a one-stroke penalty that resulted in a bogey six.

"I got a bit down when my ball moved," he said. "You're looking at an eight-foot birdie putt and then all of a sudden it's for a par and then you're a bit scrambled and you miss it and end up making bogey."

The world number four also had a mixed time at last year's Open at St Andrews when, after a magnificent 63 in the first round, he carded an 80 in stormy conditions the next day., external

"I'm not a fan of golf tournaments [where] the outcome is predicted so much by the weather," he said.

"It's not my sort of golf. Yeah, I'm disappointed with the way I finished obviously, but I'll just have to wait until next year to try and make a good run at this tournament."

McIlroy opted not to play in a tournament between his magnificent US Open triumph at Congressional on 19 June and the first round of the Open almost a month later, but is now looking ahead to the World Golf Championships on 4 August followed by the year's final major, the USPGA, the week after.

"I'm looking forward to getting back playing in Akron, playing the PGA and getting back into some nice conditions," he said.

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