McIlroy concedes Open defeat

Rory Mcilroy admits his chances of winning the Open Championship are over after missing numerous opportunities at Royal Birkdale.

The 2014 winner's chances looked promising earlier in the day as he was three under with five holes played, but the 28-year-old failed to build on his early momentum, finishing the round on 69.

That left McIlroy on two-under, virtually ending his chances of catching Jordan Speith, who sits on nine-under.

"It's hard to think 'big picture' now, I'm just off the golf course and I'm a little disappointed," the world number four said.

"I definitely feel like today was an opportunity lost to get right in the mix going into tomorrow.

"It (his game) is getting there. It's not quite where I need it to be to win the biggest golf tournaments in the world but it's getting there.

"I need to pick myself up, play a good round tomorrow, hope for some bad weather, hope for some guys to struggle and we'll see what happens."

While Speith, who leads second-placed Branden Grace by three shots despite the South African shooting the first 62 in men's history, finished the day strong after carding a 65.

A win for Speith on Sunday would make the American the second player to have won three majors of the four possible before the age of 24.

"That would be incredible," Spieth said. 

"I've had a five-shot lead in a major and squandered it before. I've had the high and the humbling so I will keep my head down and not get ahead of myself."

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