The Irish Golf Club Gazette: 03/05/15

3/05/2015

McIlroy Cadillac Follows Honda Cut

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Rory McIlroy believes missing the cut in last week’s Honda Classic has given him the "kick in the backside" he needed ahead of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral.

McIlroy failed to make the weekend on his 2015 PGA Tour debut at PGA National after posting scores of 73 and 74 in the opening two rounds.

However, the world No 1 feels that could be something of a blessing in disguise following the lengthy weather delays which resulted in a Monday finish and the work it highlighted he needed to do on his game.

"I could have approached it two ways," said McIlroy at his pre-tournament press conference in Miami.

"I could have got really down on myself and wondered where that had come from or thought this was the first event after a three-week break and there were things that need to be sharper.

"Sometimes you need a little kick in the backside to make you realise what you need to do. I was disappointed but I feel like it has given me clarity on what I needed to do on my game going forward.

"It was my mum's birthday on the Friday night so we went out for a nice dinner and then got back to work on Saturday."

McIlroy admitted he struggled to play his usual controlled draw in the wind last week but appeared to have quickly ironed out the problems after shooting a 63 to win a pro-member event at Seminole Golf Club on Monday.

The 25-year-old Northern Irishman will play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in a fortnight's time before fully turning his attention to trying to complete the career grand slam with victory in the Masters in April, although he will take a "social" trip to play Augusta with his father and some friends next week.

"There is always excitement and anticipation and hype surrounding Augusta and I feel it regardless whether I am going in there as favourite or under the radar," McIlroy said. "It's the first major of the year and really the start of the golfing season for the general public.

"Right now I'm taking it week by week. After Bay Hill I will start to think about it more and every practice session will be looking ahead at the shots I need.

"I think the best way to go in is to have confidence but sometimes if you go in with low expectations that can help as well. If things were to go the right way at Augusta I would not care if I had gone in there with two wins or two missed cuts."

McIlroy will play alongside two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson in the first two rounds at Doral as well as Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.

Kevin Phelan Leads Africa Open

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Kevin Phelan continued his impressive form by taking a one shot clubhouse lead at the Africa Open following an opening round 67.

The Irishman, who finished tied for second at the Joburg Open last week, negotiated the blustery conditions at the East London Golf Club superbly to sit five under.

Starting on the back nine, Phelan dropped his only shot on his second hole, the par four 477 yard 11th.

But the 24 year old responded in emphatic fashion with six birdies, including three consecutively from the fifth, the last of which was completed when he escaped from behind the trees following a disappointing tee shot.

Richard Bland and David Howell, also second last week, are leading the chase following four under par 68s, the former out in front before Phelan's superb late surge.

The Englishman produced three birdies on the front and back nine, but two dropped shots either side of the turn hampered his progress.

Bland said: “I had a little bit of a wobble through the middle, but I bounced back well. I hit a lovely shot into the 12th and made a good putt. On 14 today I hit driver, gap wedge and managed to take advantage of it. It was nice to finish strong.”

Bland would have slipped two off the lead if he had not produced an excellent chip shot to aid a putt for par on the last after over-hitting his approach.

Fellow countryman Howell collected a shot on his second and, despite cancelling that out on the next, four more gains helped his cause.

He said: “I played well and kept the ball in play. I think anything in the 60s is something to be delighted with.”

Scot David Drysdale, another early leader, and Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick were also among four players two shots off the lead.

Drysdale made a brief charge with an action-packed opening six holes, eagling the par five 509 yard first before collecting three birdies and a bogey, but failed to continue that hot streak and dropped a second shot on the 13th.

Fitzpatrick, starting on the back nine, was first out and his only blemish arrived on his penultimate hole, the eighth, which was the first of two consecutive bogies for Shaun Norris.

With South Africans winning this event on all five occasions, Norris was leading the home charge on two under after a mixed round that also consisted of six birdies and a double bogey.

Andy Sullivan, aiming to make it a hat-trick of victories in co-sanctioned events this year after winning the South Africa Open and Joburg Open, struggled with a level par 72 with five birdies and the same amount of bogies.

The in-form Englishman, despite being five shots off the lead, will take heart from the fact that he produced a level par opening round last week at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club and still went on to win the event.

Darren Clarke and Damien McGrane carded rounds of 72.

Michael Hoey and Peter Lawrie finished Thursday on five over par rounds of 77.