Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Rory McIlroy’s long-time coach timely jets into Florida later this week after the famed Bear Trap handed McIlroy another mauling on the final day of the Honda Classic.
McIlroy failed to break 70 over four rounds of the Honda Classic with scores of 72, 72, 73 and 72 for a shock nine-over par tally on his ‘home’ course.
It is the first occasion since last May’s Players Championship McIlroy has failed to break 70 in four rounds of a PGA Tour event.
The effort handed McIlroy and a then share of 62nd place at the close of his fifth of eight events he will contest ahead of the Masters.
The Bear Trap, and named after course re-designer Jack Nicklaus, comprises the 15th, 16th and 17th holes at PGA National.
McIlroy was five-over in playing the three holes for the four days including posting a triple-bogey and day two and a quadruple-bogey in the final round when he put both his tee shot and penalty third shot into the water guarding the green.
“It’s sort of nice that I am now off the golf course but then I would like to be still playing out there,” he said exclusively to www.golfbytourmiss.com (No McIlroy quote to be used without referencing www.golfbytourmiss.com )
“Looking back on the week it was a tough first two days and the course played a little easier on the weekend but then I just didn’t play well over the four days even though I felt I played okay today.
“I just made a mess of 17 again as I played that hole in a few over this week.
“So, I just need to get onto the range and work a bit on my iron-play and my wedge-play because playing in the wind this week the ball just kept creeping back on my stance.
“I then got a little bit in front of it and it would go right and if I didn’t quite time it, it would go left.”
Is it the first time on the PGA Tour since last May’s Players Championship McIlroy not broken 70 over four rounds.
He then revealed his Belfast-based coach Michael Bannon will work with McIlroy later this coming week ahead of his next event and playing for a first occasion in the March 8th starting Valspar Championship near Naples on the Florida west coach.
And while McIlroy has elected not to travel to Mexico this week for the $US 10m WGC- Mexico Championship he is partnering his father, Gerry this morning (Monday US time) in the annual Seminole Pro-Member event and just a short drive from his Jupiter abode.
