Questions are again being asked of Rory McIlroy’s ability to close out tournaments after he failed to deliver victory in the WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship.
McIlroy brushed aside some of the best names in golf and none better than current World No. 3 Lee Westwood (3 & 1) to reach the final on the Dove Mountain course.
But when it mattered the reigning U.S. Open champion was comprehensively beaten in the final by American Hunter Mahan who collected the $US 1.4m first prize cheque.
McIlroy’s consolation was a cheque for $US 850,000 that has put him at 20th in his first Fedex Cup counting tournament.
As well, McIlroy has moved to the front in the Race to Dubai overtaking South African Brandn Grace and some Euro 350,000 ahead of Westwood is now second on the European money list.
McIlroy never got a look in trailing 3 down after eight holes and 4 down after 10 before winning the only two holes in the match, the 11th and 14th, ahead of losing out 2 & 1.
It was Mahan’s second WGC success after capturing the 2010 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio and a victory that guaranteed him a place in Corey Pavin’s USA Ryder Cup side.
Unfortunately Mahan had to then face Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell on the final day at Celtic Manor where McDowell played was was later adjudicated the ‘2010 European Tour Shot of the Year’ at the 16th hole of the Wales course before then delivering the Ryder Cup to Europe when Mahan made a mess of the 17th.
And while Mahan is now smiling McIlroy heads to Florida and this week’s PGA Tour Honda Classic having let slip yet another victory.
Rory McIlroy forced to settle for another 'bridesmaids' role after losing to Hunter Mahan in the final of the Accenture Match Play Championship. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
It was noted at the recent Omega Dubai Desert Classic that since winning in Dubai in 2009, McIlroy has gone into a last day of a Race to Dubai event on 23 occasions either leading or lying within five strokes of the lead.
Regretably, McIlroy has succeeded on just two occasions and both in 2011 when he captured the the U.S. Open and UBS Hong Kong Open titles.
It means in 21 events McIlrory has let slip the chance of victory.
So after McIlroy’s second place result on the Arizona desert course that figure now stands at 22.
It is an alarming statistic considering McIlroy has won only four events in his short four year professional career and you wonder if this defeat at the hands of Mahan could yet be another scar for McIlroy to bear?
“It’s not the result that I wanted going out this afternoon,” said McIlroy.
“It’s still been a positive week. I got through a couple of matches early on this week, which could have went either way. I dug in there and I was able to find some good golf when I needed to. So that was a positive.
“Yeah, it’s a good result. It’s, again, not what I was looking for. But I can look back on this week and take many positives out of it.
“I don’t know if I would have done anything differently. I just came in and had some lunch after my match with Lee and warmed up, like I usually would do.
“Maybe the intensity wasn’t quite as much as it was this morning going out. But, you know, that‑‑ I think that’s a little understandable after going through a match like that, thinking about it all last night and this morning trying to‑‑ so, yeah, I don’t think I could have done much different.”
And in fairness to McIlroy he was asked if losing out on moving to No. 1 will strengthen his resolve heading to this week’s Honda Classic and the following week’s second WGC of 2012, the Cadillac Championship.
“Yeah, knowing that it’s‑‑ I’ve got two events coming up, the Honda and Doral, you know, I just you want to keep putting good results up on the board, try to get a few wins,” he said.
“And if I can do that then ultimately get into the top of the World Rankings is hopefully inevitable, if I keep playing golf the way I am at the minute.
“For the time being, I think I can just put it out of my head somewhat and just try and focus on winning golf tournaments.”
