No. 2 McIlroy cites loss of faith in swing after 73

A glum Rory McIlroy says he has lost faith in his swing after posting a third-round 73 to knock him out of the running for the British Open.

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- A glum Rory McIlroy says he has lost faith in his swing after posting a third-round 73 to knock him out of the running for the Open Championship.

The second-ranked Northern Irishman arrived at Lytham optimistic about his chances of capturing a second major after winning the U.S. Open last year.

But McIlroy put his problems down to "just lack of consistency with my swing. Whenever you're not confident in the shots that you're trying to hit, then it's tough to sort of trust it."

McIlroy is 5 over par, 15 shots off the lead.

His game has been in a rut since missing the cut at The Players Championship in May. He has failed to make the weekend in three other events since then, including the U.S. Open.