RORY IN CHAMPIONSHIP FORM
RORY McILROY pulled off a stunning win in the Players Championship at Sawgrass last night to set himself up for a tilt at the career grand slam in the Masters at Augusta next month. ‘I can take a lot from this,’ said McIlroy. ‘It’s taken me a few weeks to get to this point but I feel like I’m playing some of the best golf of my life right now and I just need to keep going and keep doing the same things.’
FOR Rory McIlroy, there was finally a Sunday of redemption yesterday as all the near-misses were cast to one side with a return to the winner’s circle following a nervewracking victory at the Players Championship.
The 29-year-old Northern Irishman was set a stringent 15-under-par target by 48year-old Jim Furyk, who was seeking a redemptive victory of his own after his Ryder Cup mauling as American captain last September.
Gentleman Jim punched his ticket with a brilliant shot to tapin range at the 18th to complete a 67. McIlroy, however, kept his cool with a wonderful second shot to the par-five 16th to set up a second successive birdie. His tee shot at the difficult 18th was the McIlroy of old, a stunning long strike down the middle.
Yes, Rory is back, and this was some effort, as he recovered manfully from a double bogey at the fourth and a bogey at the seventh. He finished with a 70 to win by a stroke.
This was his 15th win in America. The only players ever to win that many times and also claim four majors in the modern game before the age of 30 just happen to go by the names of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Not bad company to keep.
Next month he will try to win the Masters and join them to become only the sixth player to claim the career Grand Slam. It will be that bit easier now, following this win.
‘If I hadn’t won today I would have said I don’t need a win going into Augusta, but it’s very nice to get a win, especially doing it on this golf course, honestly a golf course that played a little bit similar to the way Augusta will play in a few weeks’ time,’ said McIlroy.
‘I can take a lot from this and I just need to keep going with it and keep doing the same things.’
After five top-six finishes in his first five starts, McIlroy’s fabulous start to the season now has the cherry on top with this win in the PGA Tour’s flagship event and its $2.25million first prize.
‘It’s very special. I just tried to treat it like any other day,’ he said. ‘Even though I’ve had all those close calls this year they didn’t mean anything.
‘If anything they were good for me, I called them “remote misses”, it gives you even more hope to go forward and go again. I think all those experiences this year led me to this point and ultimately they were good for me because it got me over the line today.
‘The birdie on 12 was huge to give me a bit of momentum and the final few holes were tough. To get that birdie on 15 after the dropped shot on 14 was massive.
‘I knew 16 was a good chance and to par the last two holes and hit three good shots when I needed to, that gives me a lot of confidence going forward.’
In a tie for third place was Eddie Pepperell, who was so depressed by how he was hitting the ball last Tuesday that he gave serious consideration to flying home and missing out on his debut at the Players.
Following his extraordinary final-round 66, you could say the mercurial 28-year-old, playing in just his second PGA Tour event, was glad he hung around.
Pepperell made a remarkable charge. Beginning eight shots off the pace, Pepperell actually stood on the 18th tee tied for the lead — and that after bogeying the par-five second.
From the seventh, birdie after birdie found the bottom of the hole. Best of all was the one at the celebrated par-three 17th, where his poor tee shot finished 50ft away. When it’s your day, it’s your day. As the putt fell below ground, the roar must have been heard miles away. ‘That putt at the 17th and the roar that followed, that’s the sort of moment you remember long after you retire,’ he said.
Seamus Power signed off with a commendable 69 for a five-underpar total to tie 35th.