Rory loses his drive to make it easy for Thomas

JUSTIN THOMAS didn’t have to show much of his ‘nasty streak’ to get the job done and win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational yesterday. Not with Rory McIlroy showing his meek side and Ian Poulter undoing much of the good work of his first three days with a miserable final round. McIlroy had talked in the build-up of admiring Thomas’s ruthlessness under the gun, but this was more about another of those final days this year and a head-to-head when the Northern Irishman simply hasn’t delivered. It began at the Dubai Desert Classic in February, continued at the Masters, and represents a rather large black cloud hanging over a season with an otherwise sunny aspect. The 29-yearold, who began in joint second place alongside Poulter, and three behind Thomas, went from first in driving on Saturday to almost dead last yesterday, and when that club doesn’t work around Firestone, you’ve got no chance of applying pressure. Needless to say, this was hardly the result McIlroy was looking for as he tries to end a four year drought in the majors this week at the US PGA Championship. By contrast, this was the perfect result for Thomas (right) ahead of his title defence. He shot 69 for an easy fourstroke victory over fellow American Kyle Stanley, with Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen third. McIlroy finished tied sixth after a 73. Poulter began needing a top-five finish to move above Paul Casey into the last automatic slot for Europe’s Ryder Cup team, but a bogey at the first set the tone for a poor 74 for tied 10th spot. He will get a Ryder Cup wild card, regardless, and deservedly so, but this will sting, nonetheless. In the Ryder Cup stakes, therefore, the big winner proved Olesen, who came from nowhere with his excellent 64. He began the week as one of those players on the bubble but he’s a feisty character with a fabulous putting stroke, and there’s every chance now that Denmark will not only provide Europe with its captain in Thomas Bjorn but a member of the team as well. Much earlier, the sweat had poured off Tiger Woods on to an errorstrewn card showing a back nine featuring just one par. ‘He doesn’t seem to be moving well at all,’ said Sir Nick Faldo on American television, prompting speculation as to whether the 42-year-old was hurt once more. ‘It was just one of those weeks,’ said Woods after signing off with a second mediocre 73 to finish outside the top 30. I’ve certainly got work to do to get ready for the US PGA but I’m confident I’ll be good to go come Thursday.’