Box-office DeChambeau has the edge for Bay Hill victory
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU combined incredible power and a delicate touch to clinch the Arnold Palmer Invitational as Rory McIlroy crashed to 76 and insisted he needs “a spark” to reiginite his game.
The massive-hitting Californian thrilled the limited crowds at Bay Hill with his long-driving exploits before knocking in a six-footer for par at the last for a one-under 71 to Lee Westwood’s 73 to win by one stroke on 11-under par.
As for McIlroy, he failed what was a major championship examination and has work to do to be ready for The Players Championship this week.
His tournament challenge ended when he found water twice off the tee and took seven at the 565-yard par-five sixth where DeChambeau would follow Saturday’s 370-yard drive with a 377yard missile yesterday, slumping to a 76 to finish eight shots behind in a tie for 10th on three-under.
Dejected
“I don’t know what the word is or how to describe it, but just a little dejected,” McIlroy said of his feelings about his game heading to The Players at TPC Sawgrass this week.
“Maybe looking to go in a different direction. I don’t know. I need something, I need a spark, I need something and I just don’t seem to have it. Some days it’s good, some days it’s not.”
One behind the English veteran overnight, DeChambeau turned for home one ahead as he followed a bogey off a wild drive at the first with birdies at the par-five fourth and sixth where both men made birdie fours.
DeChambeau again captured the imagination of fans, biting off so much of the lake with his 377-yard drive that he had 88 yards to the green from a fairway bunker as Westwood was left with 256 yards following his 306-yard drive.
“I don’t even know what to say to win at Mr Palmer’s event ... It’s gonna make me cry,” DeChambeau said.
As for McIlroy, he needed a fast start but instead bogeyed the third and followed a birdie four at the fourth with a double-bogey seven at the sixth.
Going for a big drive, he bit off too much of the lake and found a watery grave not once but twice before making an “eagle” three with his third ball, firing a 244-yard sixth shot to four feet.
McIlroy, who falls from eighth to 11th in the world, would bogey the par-three seventh to turn for home six shots behind and then mix birdies at the parfive 12th and 16th with bogeys at the 10th, 15th and 17th.
It was also a disappointing day for European Ryder Cup captain Pádraig Harrington (49) who triple bogeyed the 18th to close a 76 to finish tied 31st on one-over par. Hospitalised in Puerto Rico last week with kidney stones, the Dubliner bogeyed the eighth and ninth to turn in two-over and while he birdied the 16th, he drove out of bounds at the last and took seven.
Meanwhile, Leona Maguire clinched just her second career top-10 finish and her first on US soil when she birdied her last two holes to tie for sixth on five-under par in the LPGA Drive On Championship at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club in Florida.
The Slieve Russell star (26) opened with back-to-back bogeys in blustery conditions before fighting back by making four birdies against two bogeys in a ten-hole stretch in the middle of her round before finishing birdie-birdie for a two-under 70. “I think the biggest thing was staying patient all week,” said the Co Cavan star, who was pleased to recover from her slow start with three birdies in a row from the fifth.
“I suppose it is something that I’ve always prided myself on, the way I bounce back after I drop a few. Took advantage of the par-fives today. I think I birdied all of them which, comes in very handy.”
She finished ten shots behind US Solheim Cup star Austin Ernst (29) who shot 70 to clinch her third LPGA win by five shots from Jennifer Kupcho, who shot 74, on 15-under par.
Stephanie Meadow also finished well, picking up shots at the 15th and 16th as she carded a level par 72 for a share of 34th place on one-over.