McIlroy’s chasing the one that got away...
RORY McIlroy is targetting a win in the Omega European Masters, as well as the world No1 ranking held by rival Brooks Koepka.
McIlroy has mulled over a career ‘Mulligan’ for 11 years, since he blew a fourstroke 54-hole lead in Crans-sur-Sierre as a rookie pro and lost a playoff to a little-known Frenchman, Jeff Lucquin.
‘I had a wonderful opportunity to win my first event on tour here,’ recalled McIlroy yesterday.
‘I was leading going into the last day, had a oneshot lead playing the last and wasn’t able to make par from there. Was beaten in the play-off. It’s still to this day the one event that I think of that I would like to re-do — get a Mulligan.
‘The first time I was here I fell in love with the place, the people, the atmosphere. I’m glad that it worked out this year that I could be here. I would like to give myself another chance [to win] at least,’ he added.
With three titles on the PGA Tour this year, including last Sunday’s €15m FedEx Cup Trophy jackpot at the Tour Championship, McIlroy has closed the gap on Koepka and is eager to finish on a high as the European Tour’s big money prizes loom.
McIlroy’s prime targets include the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the WGC-HSBC Champions in China and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
‘I think Brooks [Koepka] has got about a threepoint lead on me. I don’t know if that’s attainable with the tournaments I have left,’ he said.
‘I saw somewhere that there are more world ranking points on offer here than there have been for eight years.
‘Wentworth is obviously big for world ranking points. There’s a WGC coming up. There’s still a lot to play for. That’s my focus for the rest of the year, getting closer to that No1 spot.’
Matthew Fitzpatrick is driven by two targets of his own as he goes in search of a third consecutive win at the European Masters.
The Englishman is aiming to become the first player to win the title three years in a row and match the great Seve Ballesteros as a three-time winner of the event.
A stellar field in the Swiss Alps includes Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Wallace, Lee Westwood and Danny Willett, who will all come under the eye of the competing Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington.
Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan, both eager for a high finish, complete the Irish challenge.