McILROY SETS HIS SIGHTS ON No1
After sealing his fourth win of the season in a play-off...
Given the measure of the man’s talent, it’s perhaps only right that no season could be considered a great one for Rory Mcilroy when he underperforms in the four majors.
That said, this one surely deserves to be classed just a smidgeon below that mark following the fourth victory of a remarkably consistent campaign in the WGC-HSBC Champions event in China yesterday.
The northern irishman prevailed at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off against defending champion Xander Schauffele to add a WGC to his season’s collection of the two best titles on the PGA Tour — the Players Championship and the Tour Championship — plus the Canadian Open. They might not be majors, but they’re not exactly run-of-the-mill titles either, are they?
Mcilroy has played well all year but particularly since the bitter disappointment of his collapse at The Open at Royal Portrush in July, where he missed the halfway cut. The 30-year-old said he would learn from the experience and, with an average score of a shade over 67 in the 36 rounds he has since played, he’s certainly kept his side of the bargain.
After the pair had tied on 19 under, Mcilroy won at the first extra hole in classic Rory style — by flat outplaying his opponent. The par-five 18th is a wonderful risk or reward par five, where he followed a perfect drive with a four iron over the water to 20ft and two-putted for his birdie. in the left rough off the tee, Schauffele had to play short of the water and could only make a par.
‘i produced two of the best shots of the day when i most needed them, so that was really satisfying,’ said Mcilroy, who immediately trained his sights on world no1 Brooks Koepka, after reducing the gap between them to a single point.
‘i’m trying to chase down Brooks and, while i’m still a little behind, i’m getting there.
‘i won’t catch him this year because i only have one event left in Dubai, but i’ve put myself in a great position to do so at the start of next season.
‘i’m excited for the future. i feel like this year compares to my great ones in 2014 and 2015 but i don’t see any reason why i can’t go ahead and have an even better one next year.’
Mcilroy, who finished with a 68 to the 67 posted by the American, enjoyed a touch of good fortune at the 18th, where his wayward drive finished just a yard from the water hazard.
For the first time since the eighth, Schauffele caught him with an impressive birdie — but it was Mcilroy who held his nerve in extra-time.
Of course, the questions about
Mcilroy’s five-year drought in the majors will resurface by the time the Masters rolls around next April. But the only way he can hope to answer them is by building up his reservoir of self-belief — and he’s certainly doing that with his stellar play.
Halfway leader Matt Fitzpatrick closed with a disappointing 71, leaving the englishman waiting for his first win of the season, to go alongside his five runners-up finishes.
Paul Waring finished a place further back, a fine performance given it was his first WGC. Phil Mickelson’s quite remarkable unbroken run in the world’s top 50, stretching back 1,353 straight weeks and almost 26 years to november, 1993, will come to an end when the latest rankings list is published today. The five-time major winner finished tied 28th but that wasn’t enough for him to hold on to 50th spot, owing to Shugo imahira’s runner-up finish at the ABC Championship on the Japan Tour. ‘i just haven’t played well, just had a lot of stuff going on and i haven’t been as mentally sharp the last eight months,’ said the 49-year-old lefty. Mickelson first entered the top 50 with a runner-up finish behind Tom Lehman at the Casio World Open on november 28, 1993.