The Irish Golf Club Gazette: Abu Dhabi

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2/27/2015

Not Classic McIlroy at Honda

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Rory McIlroy endured a torrid start to the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing as he scrapped his way to a three-over 73 on the first day of the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens.

The world No 1 struggled to get to grips with the blustery conditions at PGA National, losing a ball from his opening tee shot and finding water at the short fifth as he carded two double-bogeys in the first five holes.

The 2012 champion, who lost out to Russell Henley in a play-off last year, did manage to birdie the final two holes to limit the damage, but his main priority on Friday will be to make the cut rather than think about contending for the lead.

Jim Herman was the surprise outright leader after a commendable 65, the American being one of only two players to keep a bogey off his card in round one, while Padraig Harrington made a welcome return to form with a solid three-under 67.

Herman eased to the turn in 33 and picked up another shot at the 10th before birdies at two of the final three holes earned him a one-stroke lead over compatriot Brendan Steele, who mixed six birdies with two bogeys in his 66.

Harrington recovered from an early mistake at the second with birdies at the third and eighth and, like Herman, the Irishman also birdied 16 and 18 to round off an excellent day’s work.

The three-time major champion was joined on three under by Martin Flores and US Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed, who had only seven pars in a roller-coaster opening round.

Reed made three straight birdies from the third and added another at eight in an outward 31, but he then dropped four shots in six holes after the turn before further birdies at 16 and 18 lifted him back into the top three.

US Open champion Martin Kaymer was two over after five holes after starting on the 10th, but he birdied three of the next four and picked up another at the sixth to return a solid 68.

"It's not boring here, said the German. "Every single hole you have to think and be very creative. I enjoy it. It was a proper test. The wind was blowing from every direction."

Kaymer shares sixth with Ryder Cup team-mate Jamie Donaldson, who couldn't build on a remarkable start as he birdied three of his four four holes before dropped shots at the seventh and 10th halted his progress.

The Welshman hit back with a birdie at 14 and parred in to remain at two under, while Luke Donald, Paul Casey and Scotland's Russell Knox were a shot further adrift as only 19 players managed to break par by the end of the first day's play.

Lee Westwood holed his second shot to the 10th for eagle but then had a run of three bogeys in four holes and finished on one over alongside the likes of Ian Poulter and Phil Mickelson.

Sergio Garcia had an early triple-bogey on his card as he slipped to five over before recovering with three birdies in four holes to get back to two over - one better than fellow Gleneagles heroes McIlroy, Justin Rose and Victor Dubuisson.

2/09/2015

McIlroy Confirms First Bay Hill Trip

Rory McIlroy has committed to making his first appearance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational next month as part of his pre-Masters schedule.

McIlroy has yet to feature on the PGA Tour in 2015 but is on a run of seven consecutive top-two finishes on the European Tour, following a runners-up finish in Abu Dhabi with victory at the Dubai Desert Classic.

The world No 1 has turned down previous invites from tournament organisers and seven-time major winner Palmer to appear at Bay Hill, but is looking forward to featuring on March 19.

"I'm delighted to add the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill to my 2015 playing schedule," McIlroy said.

"Mr Palmer is the father figure of modern golf, widening its appeal and bringing the game to a new audience. Every playing professional of my generation owes a debt of gratitude to Arnold Palmer."

The reigning Open and PGA champion will return to action in the Honda Classic later this month, before featuring in the WGC-Cadillac Championship the following weekend.

"I am very pleased that Rory is going to be playing here," Palmer said. “I have talked to Rory about playing here, and it didn't work into his schedule in the past, but he told me that when it did work into his schedule that he would be here, and he is making good on his word.”

First staged in 1979, the event usually boasts a star-studded field ahead of the following month's Masters.

Matt Every is the defending champion after his one-stroke victory over Keegan Bradley last year, while world No 62 Tiger Woods has won the tournament a record eight times.

1/18/2015

Rory Stals as Kaymer Collapses

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Rory McIlroy finished second at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Sunday ending just one stroke off the winner after carding a round of 66.

It was Gary Stal who took advantage of an astonishing meltdown from Martin Kaymer to claim his maiden professional victory after an enthralling final round at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

There was no indication of the incredible drama to come when Kaymer, who led by six shots overnight, birdied three of the first four holes to extend his advantage to 10 strokes over the field.

But the expected procession to victory for the German unravelled in spectacular fashion as he double-bogeyed the ninth and ran up a triple-bogey seven at the 13th to gift the lead to the unheralded Frenchman.

Stal had piled the pressure on the German with a sparkling run of six birdies in eight holes, and he held his nerve down the stretch to close out a flawless seven-under 65 - the joint-low round of the day - and earn a thrilling one-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy.

The world No 1 finally found some form on the greens as he carded a seven-birdie 66 to finish on eight under, but he came up a shot behind the winner for the third time after his splash-out for eagle at the last shaved the edge of the cup.

His resulting birdie meant Stal needed only a par at the last to clinch the title, and the 22-year-old calmly played the par-five as a three-shot hole and two-putted from the fringe to collect the lucrative first prize of 380,000 euros.

Kaymer looked understandably downcast as he limped in with a three-over 75 to finish third, two behind the champion, while Victor Dubuisson and Thomas Pieters were one stroke further adrift.

After the three-time champion had got off to a flying start, Stal appeared to be winning the race for second when he picked up shots at the fourth and sixth before reeling off four consecutive birdies around the turn.

Kaymer’s bogey at the sixth – his first dropped shot since the 12th hole in the first round - looked to be only a temporary blip, but the German was forced to take a penalty drop at the ninth after driving into the scrub and he was unable to stave off a double-bogey six.

Worse was to follow for the reigning US Open champion at the 13th, where another errant drive and three putts added up to a seven which saw him relinquish his lead to Stal, who then went two clear when he drained a 25-foot putt for birdie at the 16th.

Meanwhile, McIlroy had ignited a belated challenge with three consecutive birdies from the eighth, and he suddenly found himself within a shot of the lead when he also converted fine approaches to the 13th and 15th holes.

But further birdie attempts at 16 and 17 had slightly too much pace to take the break, and he was unable to find the eagle he required at the last to have a chance to force a play-off after he blocked his aggressive second shot.

Stal was a model of assurance as he made a cast-iron par at the difficult 17th and avoided trouble coming down the last, where he lagged to within a foot from 20 feet to leave himself the simplest of tap-ins to cap the most memorable day of his career.

Kaymer closed with five pars to claim outright third ahead of Dubuisson, who kept a bogey off his card to hand in a commendable 67, while young Belgian Thomas Pieters (70) was out of touch with his putter down the stretch as he parred the last eight holes to join Dubuisson on 16 under.

English pair James Morrison and Tyrrell Hatton both carded five-under 67s to earn a tie for sixth along with Bernd Wiesberger, while Jamie Donaldson failed to build on three straight birdies from the seventh as he parred every hole on the inward half to remain 13 under.

Stal's 65 matched the earlier efforts of former US Open champions Justin Rose and Ernie Els, who both vaulted to 12 under with flawless seven-birdie rounds.

1/17/2015

McIlroy's Day Moves Wrong Way

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Rory McIlroy admitted he felt like "punching himself" after a dreadful performance on the greens left him eight shots off the lead after the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The world No 1 was just two behind leader Martin Kaymer at the halfway stage but, as the German crafted a sublime bogey-free 65, McIlroy laboured to a 71 despite excelling from tee to green.

McIlroy missed only two fairways and hit 17 greens in regulation, but he struggled to contain his frustration as a succession of birdie chances failed to find the target.

The Northern Irishman, twice a runner-up in Abu Dhabi, did manage to convert excellent approaches at the sixth and 12th holes, but hopes of a grandstand finish effectively ended with a bogey at 13.

After another chance grazed the lip on the final green, McIlroy’s tap-in for par was his 34th shot with the putter as he closed on 12 under par.

A clearly-deflated McIlroy told Sky Sports 4: "I feel like punching myself. I'm very disappointed, I just didn't putt well – yesterday or today.

"I'm going to have to do something a bit better on the greens to shoot a good number and finish the tournament off well"

"I hit the ball just as well as I did yesterday and gave myself so many chances but I didn't convert any. I was very wasteful today. It looks like I'm playing for second place tomorrow.

"From tee to green I've never felt more comfortable. I'm driving the ball great. It's just a matter of capitalising on the chances you give yourself and I didn't do that today.

"I tried to stay as patient as possible but it was very frustrating. I started the ball on line for the most part but struggled with the speed as well, so it's a combination of that.

"You're always trying to improve and get better and I'm going to have to do something a bit better on the greens to shoot a good number and finish the tournament off well.

"I am now trying to win the other tournament. Martin's playing in something a little different than everyone else. I think I'm two behind Thomas Pieters and I will try and catch him. It's obviously very unrealistic that I'm going to catch Martin."

In contrast, McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mate Victor Dubuisson reflected on a fine day’s work after the Frenchman vaulted up the leaderboard with an eight-under 64 – the low round of the day.

Dubuisson had been hampered by a back injury in the latter part of 2014, but he appeared to be swinging freely in Abu Dhabi as he rolled in eight birdie putts and kept a bogey off his card to move to 11 under.

But while he was delighted with his performance, Dubuisson still trails runaway leader Kaymer by nine shots and he knows he needs something special over the final 18 holes.

"It was a good day, I played really well. I holed some good putts compared with the other days. I'm very happy about the score," Dubuisson said. "But I think I'll need to shoot 10 under tomorrow to have a chance."

The world No 19 rose to worldwide prominence with his run to the final of last year’s WGC-Accenture World Match Play, and he also played a starring role in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at Gleneagles in September.

But Dubuisson is keeping his expectations realistic for the coming year, insisting he has not followed McIlroy’s lead in compiling a list of targets for the season.

"I just want to do better for myself, I don't feel any more pressure," the 24-year-old added. "Golf is a sport where you can have two or three bad years and then come back. It's very difficult to keep the same level every year so I'm just trying to do my best on every round, every event.

"It's difficult to write, 'this year my target is to win two majors' because I haven't even won one. I haven't won a PGA Tour event, so first I try to keep consistent in my game, maybe win one or two events."

1/16/2015

Rory Records First Pro Ace

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Rory McIlroy celebrated his first hole-in-one as a professional after remaining firmly in contention at the halfway stage of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The world No 1 emulated Miguel Angel Jimenez’s first-day ace at the 177-yard 15th hole, while he also made five birdies and just one bogey in a 66 that left him just two shots behind leader Martin Kaymer.

The German, already a three-time champion in Abu Dhabi, was closing out a 67 that set the clubhouse target at 13 under just as McIlroy was beginning his second round.

The reigning Open and US PGA champion wasted no time in eating into Kaymer’s lead as he opened with a pair of birdies and lipped out for another at the third, but he then gave a shot back at the sixth.

McIlroy started the inward half as he began the first with back-to-back birdies, although he failed to convert superb approaches to both the 13th and 14th before conjuring up a moment of magic at the next.

His perfectly struck nine-iron pitched just short of the pin to the left, but his ball dug in on the first bounce and the cut-spin directed it straight into the cup.

McIlroy did well to save par on the 17th after driving into a fairway bunker, and he also found sand at the last before pitching to 12 feet and rolling in the birdie putt to reach 11 under.

"I felt really good,” he told Sky Sports 4. “I went to the range yesterday and worked on a couple of things and drove the ball much better today, which you need to around here.

"Ball-striking wise, I couldn't really fault it. I was playing really well from tee to green. I felt like I was hitting some good putts as well, but they just weren't dropping.

"As soon as it left the bat it looked like it had a chance. It's my first one ever in competition as a pro, and obviously the beers are on me"

"Overall I'm not going to complain with a 66 as it's a great position to be in going into the weekend."

And on his hole-in-one, McIlroy added: "It definitely made up for the previous two holes. It was a perfect number, a straight downwind 177.

"I had been playing well, but had not been putting so good, so that took the putter out of it! As soon as it left the bat it looked like it had a chance. It's my first one ever in competition as a pro, and obviously the beers are on me tonight."

Meanwhile, McIlroy’s good friend and playing partner Rickie Fowler was left in the shade as he made the halfway cut with nothing to spare on two under after a disappointing 75.

The young American was going along nicely after a couple of early birdies until he got into serious trouble at the eighth, where he lost a ball from the tee and ran up an ugly triple-bogey eight.

Fowler dropped two more shots over the back nine, but he regained his composure to record solid pars at the last three holes and ensure an extra 36 holes.

"I shouldn't have been anywhere close to the cut line," Fowler said. "It would be nice to get a good one together tomorrow and see if I can salvage a decent finish."

On his horror show at the eighth, he added: "I was swinging great coming out, the driver didn't feel very comfortable in my hands, but I was getting it around.

"My hand felt a little funny coming down and just made a funky move through the ball, my body stopped and flipped and I ended up in the junk on the left.

"There are a few holes out here where you can't miss it in one direction and that happens to be one of them."

1/15/2015

McIlroy Makes Fast Season Start

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Rory McIlroy began his 2015 season in impressive fashion, alongside playing partner Rickie Fowler, with the Ryder Cup opponents carding five-under-par 67s to be two shots off the early clubhouse lead.

The world No 1 picked up his first shot at the 10th - his opening hole - but dropped back to level par before coming into his own with a hat-trick of birdies just after the turn.

Another birdie, after a superb putt at the seventh, lifted the Northern Irishman to four-under after 16 holes.

At that stage Fowler was two shots ahead, sharing the lead, but the American bogeyed his final hole while McIlroy rattled in another birdie on his penultimate hole for his 67.

On a crisp morning in the United Arab Emirates, McIlroy's sumptuous chip to 10ft on his opening hole had given him the chance to begin the season with a birdie, and he did not pass it up.

That failed to inspire him though, and he struggled to create many birdie chances before eventually bogeying the 17th after a wayward 8ft putt.

The 25-year-old appeared in trouble on the third, his 13th hole of the day, after his tee shot left him on the lip of a bunker but he superbly managed to get his approach shot onto the green before holing for birdie.

"It was a nice finish and I'll need to do more of that in the next few days if I'm to have a chance to win."

Two more birdies followed and he then holed a 15ft putt on the seventh to leave himself in a decent position before his final birdie at the next and a par to finish.

McIlroy told Sky Sports 4: "I was just trying to keep up with this guy (Fowler). He was making birdies. I hung around in the middle of the round.

"He was kicking me on, for sure. I didn't want to let him get too far ahead of me. I just wanted to try to stay as close to him as possible and thankfully I was able to do that."

"It was a nice finish and I'll need to do more of that in the next few days if I'm to have a chance to win. I'll need to hit more fairways as well. I didn't drive the ball particularly well today.

"I need to do a little bit better if I'm (going) to have a chance."

Fowler, playing only his third event since the Ryder Cup, enjoyed birdies at the 15th, 17th, first, fourth, fifth and seventh to head the leaderboard before his only mistake at the ninth, his final hole, saw him slip back to join McIlroy on five-under.

"I was a little shaky this morning," he said. "I haven't played in quite some time, so it's nice to get things off to a consistent start and throw some birdies in there.

Watch as Miguel Angel Jimenez hit a hole in one during the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship

"Unfortunately I made bogey at the last but I made some good swings coming down the stretch and I'm definitely pleased with the start."

England's Tom Lewis illuminated his round by enjoying a hole in one on the par-three 200-yard seventh for the 10th ace in tournament history and third on that hole.

"As soon as I hit it, I knew I hit it good, coming in high, and I said, that's got a chance," he said. "I was just like, 'perfect'. I was just pleased I didn't have to putt. The green there is tricky to read and obviously I hit a great shot."

Lewis finished on three-under, four behind early pacesetter Thomas Pieters of South Africa.

Pieters, who has never won on the European Tour, claimed the outright lead after recovering nicely to birdie the 18th.

3/05/2014

McIlroy to Better Blue Monster

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Rory McIlroy is aiming to go one better at this week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship after a second runner-up finish of 2014 last Sunday.

In three stroke-play events this season the Northern Irishman has finished second in Abu Dhabi, ninth in Dubai and was only beaten in a play-off at last week’s Honda Classic.

The two-time Major winner came to the final hole needing an eagle to win, and almost pulled it off after a magnificent five wood approach to six feet.

McIlroy missed the putt and was beaten by Russell Henley at the first extra hole, but the World Number Six chose to focus on the positives of being in contention again.

“[The five wood into 18] is right up there,” he said. “It's probably the best that I've hit under pressure.

“I don't think I can think of any other ones where I've needed it and been able to pull it off like that.

“Looking at last week as a whole, there are definitely a lot of positives to take. I think I was up there in putting in the statistical categories, I drove the ball really well.

“I was just disappointed with how I played coming down the stretch; it obviously wasn't what I would have liked.

“But plenty of positives - getting myself in position to win, it was my third stroke play event of the year, and third chance to win.

“If you keep giving yourself those chances, then hopefully learn from the mistakes, then you're going to eventually walk through the door and win, and then when you get into the habit of it, it becomes a bit easier.

“But I feel like my game is there to get into contention again this week and that's what I'll try and do.”

McIlroy admits that it can be difficult to train for the nerves of coming down the stretch in contention, but The Ryder Cup star feels more confident this week having competed at the top of the leaderboard regularly since winning the Australian Open at the end of 2013.

“For me, there's no better way to prepare for that than to be in it,” he added. “I don't think by putting yourself under pressure in a practice session or even playing Monday games with people, it's not the same thing.

“So it's just about putting yourself in that position week in, week out.

“I maybe just didn't make as many committed swings as I should have at some points during the back nine last week.

“But I know that, and if I get myself into that position again this week, I'll try and do a better job of seeing my shots and making more committed swings. But I don't think there's anything that you can really do in practice that can replicate what you're feeling on the back nine on Sunday.

“You're not going to win every event that you play, but if you can give yourself at least a chance going into Sunday, then that's all you can really ask of yourself.

“Giving yourself a chance and getting yourself into contention is what I expect of myself, and everyone knows that I didn't do that enough last year at all, and I've started this year better because I've been in contention every time that I've teed it up. So I'm happy with that.”

2/06/2014

GMAC Returns to Pebble

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Graeme McDowell makes his first appearance at the California course where he became the first European for 40 years to win the US Open.

He will encounter a different experience at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am but there will be also a degree of familiarity as he will be playing alongside his 10-handicapper dad Kenny, who was present nearly four years ago for that landmark win.

“It was weird being out there. I forgot how slopey these greens are here at Pebble, how small they are,” said McDowell.

“A lot of people ask me ‘How come you have never been back since 2010?’

“I kind of say ‘Well, what’s the point of coming back? It’s not going to get any better than how it felt last time I was here’.

“It was pretty tough to top the experience that weekend — the emotions, being with my dad on Father’s Day, winning my first major championship — it doesn’t get any better than that so I really wasn’t in a rush to come back.

“Emotionally I don’t think that moment will be beaten in my career but I’m not going to put Pebble up there on a pedestal and say that is the highlight of my career because I want more.

“I want more Pebbles, I want more major championships, I want more things. Hopefully it will not define my career.

“I’m hoping to keep defining my career as I go so there’s a fine balance between getting too obsessed by it emotionally.”

This is McDowell’s first appearance this year and he is beginning his season at least a week earlier than usual, hoping to use the slightly more relaxed atmosphere at Pebble Beach to ease his way back into competition.

“Obviously to get to play with my dad was great but that wasn’t really the deciding factor,” he added.

“I started at Riviera (Northern Trust Open) last year but I felt it was quite a tricky place to start my season, coming in with the inevitable rust on my game.

“So I thought why not come to the pro-am here, have some fun, play golf courses which are maybe not set up as tough as regular tournaments would be.

“You get three rounds under your belt minimum. At least by the end of the week I’ll know where I’m at and I’m be able to start my season from this week and beyond.”

Pádraig Harrington, who has suffered back-to-back missed cuts on his last two outings in Abu Dhabi and Phoenix, is also in the field this week as he seeks the form and putting touch on the greens that will revitalise his game.

Harrington, playing the second of three tournaments on the US PGA Tour, will partner businessman JP McManus this week.

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