Angry Rory lets rip after blowing shot at victory
rorY MciLroY walked off the 18th green here at the earth Course yesterday with his face frozen in anger. Hot and furious at his failure to win the dP World Tour Championship, he tore at the top of his shirt once he had left the public arena and managed to rip it almost in two.
Consequently, he left the recording area shortly afterwards looking faintly ridiculous, with the top half of his chest exposed and clearly in no fit state to do any interviews, either physically or mentally.
A week that had promised so much had ended in another crushing disappointment and, following his tears at the ryder Cup, another sunday where, alongside his torso, all his emotions were laid bare. What a long flight home to Florida it must have been.
No one could have foreseen such events with just 90 minutes remaining at the last tournament of the year.
What happened thereafter to provoke the Mcilroy meltdown can be attributed to one-third atrocious luck, one-third his own poor reaction, and the rest to the magnificence of Collin Morikawa, who ended up winning the event to become the first American to claim the race to dubai — and in true style.
At the age of just 24, he took home a cheque for loose change short of £3million, as well as those two handsome trophies to place alongside the Claret Jug.
Morikawa resembles a latterday sir Nick Faldo in the manner in which he hangs around for 63 holes or so of a tournament and then pounces mercilessly on any mistakes by his rivals.
His last bogey came on the 13th hole on Friday and, over the last seven holes, he turned on the afterburners with five birdies to end up winning by three strokes, although it was never as easy as that margin suggests.
The moment everything changed came at the par-four 15th, one of the easiest holes on the course.
Mcilroy was clearly not playing with the freedom he showed over the first three days but he was still tied for the lead, with an obvious birdie opportunity to come following a perfect tee shot. He must have thought his short-wedge approach was going to finish close as he watched it laser in on the flagstick.
Never underestimate the part that luck, either good or bad, plays in any triumph.
Mcilroy was left aghast as the ball struck the flag and then bounced back into a greenside bunker. Now he was facing an awkward shot with no green with which to work. He ended up with a bogey.
What followed was simply a horror show, with all the progress he had demonstrated during the week seemingly forgotten. going for the birdie at the 16th, he knocked his first putt 6ft past and missed the one back. At the 18th, his drive was so wild he had to hit a provisional that finished in the water hazard that divides the fairway.
Fortunately he found his first ball, but still could not avoid a penalty shot as, going for broke once more, he found the water by the green. Another bogey and a desperately disappointing 74.
Thank goodness Mcilroy has one more tournament this year, with Tiger Woods’ invitational event in the Bahamas in 10 days. He certainly would not want to stew on this result for a couple of months.
elsewhere, Matt Fitzpatrick knew he had to defend his title successfully to stand any chance of winning the race to dubai and made a thrilling attempt on the final day with a 66 for a share of second place, and another seven-figure payday to follow on from last year’s for the 27-year-old from sheffield.
if you are going to prove yourself a course specialist, it certainly pays in every sense to pick the one with a tournament featuring a massive prize fund.