Mcilroy’s dazzling fightback denied by Soderberg victory
World No2 beaten in play-off in Switzerland My hands were shaking playing Rory, says Swede
There are not too many unconquered summits in the golf career of Rory Mcilroy, but the Omega European Masters in the Alps remains one. Eleven years after he was beaten in a play-off at the picturesque mountainous Swiss course of Crans-sur-sierre, the same fate befell the world No 2 yesterday.
It was actually to Mcilroy’s immense credit that he was part of the five-man, sudden-death shoot-out won by the Swede Sebastian Soderberg. After last week’s exertions in Atlanta, where he won $15 million (£12.2million), the 30-year-old made a 4,500-mile journey to compete in this European Tour event.
There because of a sponsor’s commitment, it would have been easy and almost forgivable if he had coasted in when he found himself four off the pace at the turn. But Mcilroy battled back, conjuring five birdies in the last seven holes to reach the 14-under mark.
The Northern Irishman even emulated Severiano Ballesteros’s iconic shot on the 18th. Ballesteros’s “great escape” in 1993 is marked with a plaque from where “El Conquistador” somehow discovered a gap in the trees. Mcilroy’s effort was not in that league but it was still a magical shot on to the fairway that allowed him to go into the play-off.
Finland’s Kalle Samooja, Italy’s Lorenzo Gagli (67) and Argentine Andres Romero were also playing for the £375,000 first prize, with 28-year-old Soderberg holing a 10-footer for a birdie to win his maiden title.
“I thought it was exciting enough simply to be playing here with Rory,” Soderberg said. “My hands were shaking.” Mcilroy’s head was doing the same, although perhaps he was being unfair to himself. This was his 15th top 10 out of 19 starts in 2019, a remarkably consistent ratio. Whatever anyone says about his barren run in the majors – five years – there can be no doubt he is at the peak of his powers. The fact he has not won a European Tour event in four years is also a mystery.
“Too many mistakes,” Mcilroy said of a week that included 14 bogeys. “I made enough birdies, but I just didn’t quite have it over the weekend. This is my seventh event in eight weeks. I think playing so much, sometimes mental errors creep in here and there.”
Soderberg, ranked 287th in the world, was suitably delighted. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I’ve dreamt of playing on the European Tour, even better doing it this way. I was in the lead, lost it, went into the play-off with Rory among it.
“I was more nervous in the beginning than I was towards the back nine. Got on a good run and the ball kept going in. Just playing with Rory, so many people around, playing with a guy like that adds heat to it right away. I proved to myself that I can play out here.”