McIlroy Wins WGC-Cadillac

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Rory McIlroy gave himself an early birthday present with victory in the WGC - Cadillac Match Play in San Francisco.

McIlroy, who turns 26 on Monday, defeated Gary Woodland 4 and 2 in the final at TPC Harding Park, his third win of the day after completing victory over Paul Casey in the quarter-finals and producing a brilliant finish to get the better of Jim Furyk in the last four.

The four-time Major winner made a scrappy start to the final before a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth took him four up at the turn and seemingly certain to win his second World Golf Championships title after victory in the Bridgestone Invitational last year.

However, after both players birdied the 10th, McIlroy bogeyed the 11th having failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker and Woodland reduced his deficit further thanks to driving the green on the short par four 12th and two-putting for birdie.

World Number 52 Woodland looked like winning another hole after McIlroy bogeyed the 13th, only to miss from two feet for par after a superb recovery from a greenside bunker.

And that proved to be the pivotal moment in the contest as Woodland then three-putted the 14th and made a mess of the 16th to give McIlroy the title.

"I'm really proud of myself with how I showed a lot of character early in the tournament coming back from some deficits," McIlroy said.

"I played really solid golf. I have got on a nice little run in match play. I got a lot of confidence from the way I played against Rickie (Fowler) in the Ryder Cup last year (winning 5 and 4) and just followed it on through into this.

"Obviously I am delighted, a second World Golf Championship and first win in the States this year and so I could not be happier."

England's Danny Willett, who lost to Woodland in the semi-finals, secured third place after beating Furyk 3 and 2 in the consolation match.

McIlroy had earlier eagled the 18th from over 40 feet to see off Furyk in a thrilling last-four tie, and won the fourth hole of the final when American Woodland tangled in thick rough down the left.

The Northern Irishman went two up at the next when he got up-and-down from a greenside bunker and Woodland failed to do likewise.

McIlroy had three-putted the second and third as they were halved in bogeys, but found form with the short stick as he converted from 35 feet at the sixth and half that range on the seventh for unanswered birdies that took him four clear, before holding off Woodland’s charge on the back nine.

McIlroy had wasted little time winning his quarter-final against Casey, needing just one hole to settle the contest after the pair proved inseparable over 21 on Saturday.

After a swift turnaround, top seed McIlroy was back out on the first and birdied again after getting on in two once more.

But this time Furyk was equal to it, holing from 18 feet to keep matters all square.

McIlroy did go ahead at the third, with Furyk failing to save par from off the green.

Former US Open Champion Furyk won the fourth with a par as McIlroy failed to get up-and-down, but he went back in front with a birdie at the long next.

McIlroy spectacularly chipped in at the seventh, but Furyk followed him in for birdie from 20 feet to remain only one down, and then turned the contest on its head with a gain from similar distance on the eighth.

Furyk led for the first time at the turn, McIlroy bogeying the ninth after finding a bunker.

McIlroy squared the contest with a birdie from almost 30 feet at the 11th, and went ahead when Furyk shanked his first approach from the rough at the next.

But the American came fighting back again, hitting his tee shot to five feet at the 13th and converting for a birdie to square the contest once more.

Furyk found another birdie on the 15th from ten feet, and pitched close again at the 16th to leave McIlroy facing the prospect of being two down with two to play – a position he had recovered from against Billy Horschel earlier in the week.

But McIlroy chipped close form the rough and converted from six feet before almost holing his tee shot to the 17th and squaring the contest with the subsequent gain, then converting a tremendous putt to settle the tie after reaching the 18th green in two.

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McIlroy Heroics Edge Horschel

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Rory McIlroy had to produce some late heroics to edge past Billy Horschel and reach the last 16 of the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship in San Francisco.

The world No 1 was behind for much of the top-of-the-table contest, with McIlroy two down with two to play before somehow fighting back to beat the FedEx Cup champion on the 20th hole.

McIlroy looked to be following Masters champion Jordan Spieth out of the event when he bogeyed the 14th to fall two down, but holed from 25 feet for birdie on the 17th to keep the match alive.

As Horschel failed to get up and down from the side of the green at the last, McIlroy rolled in a third successive gain to take the contest to a play-off.

Both players then missed from 12 feet for birdie on the first extra hole, before McIlroy saved par from a greenside bunker on the next and Horschel was again unable to get up and down from off the green.

In reference to his putt on 17th, he told reporters: "I drew on the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles to a putt I hit with Sergio. Both were 'Make it or go home."

McIlroy, who is due to attend the Sky Sports Box Office fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on Saturday evening, will now take on Hideki Matsuyama in the last 16.

Elsewhere, Paul Casey recovered from being four down with nine to play to beat Francesco Molinari and set up a meeting with former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, while Jim Furyk won group five after beating Martin Kaymer on the 20th hole.

Furyk will take on JB Holmes on Saturday after Holmes defeated Brooks Koepka and Russell Henley saw off Scotland's Marc Warren, who would have gone through with a game to spare if he had not squandered a three-hole lead with three to play against Koepka on Thursday.

Today's final round-robin fixtures were overshadowed by a remarkable row during the dead rubber between Keegan Bradley and Miguel Angel Jimenez in the same group.

Miguel Angel Jimenez: Knocked out despite finishing with a win

Jimenez appeared to disagree with where Bradley had taken a drop on the 18th and, while trying to put his point across, told Bradley's caddie Steve Hale to shut up.

Hale took exception to this and Bradley - who had already asked Jimenez to "do me a favour" and walk over to his own ball - then stepped right in front of the Spaniard to say "Don't tell my caddie to shut up."

The issue was finally resolved and Jimenez won the match, but although he and Bradley shook hands, the debate was still raging and Hale refused to shake hands with Jimenez on the 18th green.

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McIlroy Proves Smooth Cadillac

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Rory McIlroy enjoyed comfortable victory on the opening day of the WGC-Cadillac Match Play, as a host of big names were grateful not to be making an early exit.

McIlroy saw off Jason Dufner 5 and 4, but defending champion Jason Day, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott and Graeme McDowell were all beaten at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.

That would usually mean heading for the airport and a flight home, but the traditional straight knockout format has been replaced by a round-robin phase with the 64 players divided into 16 groups of four.

Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell lost on the 18th to Ireland's Shane Lowry, but Ryder Cup team-mate McIlroy only needed to be an approximate one under par in beating Dufner.

"I felt like tee to green I played pretty well," McIlroy said. "I didn't hole many putts and felt that the green speeds were pretty inconsistent, but did what I needed to do and we move on to tomorrow."

In the all-European Group 10, Sergio Garcia recovered from two down to beat Tommy Fleetwood by two holes, while Jamie Donaldson edged out Austria's Bernd Wiesberger on the 18th.

"He (Fleetwood) played well all day then hit a couple of iffy shots in the last five holes and I was able to take advantage," Garcia said.

Lee Westwood continued his good form after winning in Jakarta on Sunday, beating Matt Every on the 18th, while Danny Willett enjoyed a successful debut in the event with a 3 and 2 win over Ryan Moore.

In the same group, compatriot Andy Sullivan was left to rue several missed chances as he lost 2 and 1 to American Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed.

"I don't feel very hopeful right now but I have a shot, so I guess that's a good thing," Rose said after losing to Australia's Marc Leishman, just three days after winning the Zurich Classic in his first appearance since finishing second in the Masters.

Leishman, who did not play at Augusta National as his wife recovered from a life-threatening illness, won the opening hole with a birdie and was never behind in the match before sealing a 3 and 2 win.

Poulter also lost the opening hole to a birdie from former US Open Champion Webb Simpson, but ultimately paid the price for carding four bogeys in six holes from the third as Simpson gained a measure of revenge for losing to the Englishman in the 'Miracle at Medinah' in 2012.

"I've drawn him in the last two Ryder Cups and what a match player he is," Simpson said. "He is always tough and even being three or four up I knew I couldn't let up and I'm happy to get by for sure."

Stenson thought he had halved his match with John Senden when the Australian birdied the 18th, only to be told extra holes would be played to determine the result, with Senden securing victory with a birdie on the 19th.

Day lost 4 and 3 to American Charley Hoffman, while compatriot Scott beaten 5 and 4 by Italy's Francesco Molinari, the same scoreline by which Charl Schwartzel beat last year's runner-up Victor Dubuisson.

Two-time Masters Tournament champion Bubba Watson enjoyed a comfortable 5 and 4 win over Miguel Angel Jimenez, while Scotland's Stephen Gallacher lost 7 and 6 to former champion Hunter Mahan.

Gallacher's fellow Scot Marc Warren had more success, enjoying a 2 and 1 win over World Number 12 JB Holmes after seeing an early three-hole lead wiped out by the 15th.

"I kept telling myself a player of that calibre is going to come back at you and he did," Warren said. "It was just about whether I could counter him and I was really calm and composed."

Shot of the day had come from American Ben Martin, who fired a hole-in-one on the 17th to take the lead over Matt Kuchar before sealing victory on the last, while Jordan Spieth defeated Finland's Mikko Ilonen 4 and 2.

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Lowry and McIlroy Progress

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Shane Lowry made a winning start to the WGC-Cadillac Match Play event in San Francisco last night with win against Graeme McDowell, while Rory McIIroy beat Jason Duffner.

Offaly man Lowry edged past McDowell winning by one hole in his opening group match.

World no.1 McIlroy, meanwhile, had a far easier time of it against former PGA champion Duffner as saw off the American 5&4 at Harding Park in San Francisco.

"I felt like tee to green I played pretty well," McIlroy told Sky Sports 4. "I didn't hole many putts and felt that the green speeds were pretty inconsistent, but did what I needed to do and we move on to tomorrow."

Masters champion Jordan Spieth defeated Finland's Mikko Ilonen 4&2 but defending champion Jason Day, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, and Adam Scott all suffered defeats.

That would usually mean heading for the airport and a flight home, but the traditional straight knockout format has been replaced by a round-robin phase with the 64 players divided into 16 groups of four.

"I don't feel very hopeful right now but I have a shot, so I guess that's a good thing," Rose said after losing to Australia's Marc Leishman, just three days after winning the Zurich Classic in his first appearance since finishing second in the Masters.

Leishman, who did not play at Augusta National as his wife recovered from a life-threatening illness, won the opening hole with a birdie and was never behind in the match before sealing a 3&2 win.

Poulter also lost the opening hole to a birdie from former US Open champion Webb Simpson, but ultimately paid the price for carding four bogeys in six holes from the third as Simpson gained a measure of revenge for losing to the Englishman in the 'Miracle at Medinah' in 2012.

"I've drawn him in the last two Ryder Cups and what a match player he is," Simpson told Sky Sports 4. "He is always tough and even being three or four up I knew I couldn't let up and I'm happy to get by for sure."

Poulter later wrote on Twitter: "Truly disgusting putting today, it was actually farcical. Spent 3 hours on the putting green this afternoon. We will see if it helped."

Stenson thought he had halved his match with John Senden when the Australian birdied the 18th, only to be told extra holes would be played to determine the result, with Senden securing victory with a birdie on the 19th.

Day lost 4&3 to American Charley Hoffman, while compatriot Scott declined to speak to reporters after being beaten 5&4 by Italy's Francesco Molinari, the same scoreline by which Charl Schwartzel beat last year's runner-up Victor Dubuisson.

In the all-European group 10, Sergio Garcia recovered from two down to beat Tommy Fleetwood by two holes, while Jamie Donaldson edged out Austria's Bernd Wiesberger on the 18th.

"He (Fleetwood) played well all day then hit a couple of iffy shots in the last five holes and I was able to take advantage," Garcia told Sky Sports 4.

Lee Westwood continued his good form after winning in Jakarta on Sunday, beating Matt Every on the 18th, while Danny Willett enjoyed a successful debut in the event with a 3&2 win over Ryan Moore.

In the same group, compatriot Andy Sullivan was left to rue several missed chances as he lost 2&1 to American Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson enjoyed a comfortable 5&4 win over Miguel Angel Jimenez, while Scotland's Stephen Gallacher suffered the biggest defeat of the day, losing 7&6 to former champion Hunter Mahan.

Gallacher, who lost both his Ryder Cup matches at Gleneagles, was an approximate three over par and has now lost 11 of his last 12 singles contests in match play.

"It was a combo of me playing well and putting the pressure on him and he did not have his best stuff today," said Mahan, who beat McIlroy to win the title in 2012 and reached the final again the following year.

Gallacher's fellow Scot Marc Warren had more success, enjoying a 2&1 win over world number 12 JB Holmes after seeing an early three-hole lead wiped out by the 15th.

"I kept telling myself a player of that calibre is going to come back at you and he did," Warren said. "It was just about whether I could counter him and I was really calm and composed."

Shot of the day had come from American Ben Martin, who fired a hole-in-one on the 17th to take the lead over Matt Kuchar before sealing victory on the last.

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McIlroy in Tough Cadillac Draw

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Rory McIlroy has been drawn alongside American trio Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker and Jason Dufner for this week’s new-look WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship in San Francisco.

Under the tournament's new format, the current top 16 in the world rankings were each placed in a different group, and the remaining three players were drawn from pools depending on their current rankings.

There will be round-robin matches between the four players in the group between Wednesday and Friday at TPC Harding Park, with the winners advancing to face off in a World Cup-style format.

World No 1 McIlroy will start against 53rd seed Dufner, who won the 2013 PGA Championship, on Wednesday before taking on Snedeker, the 35th seed and 2012 FedEx Cup winner on Thursday.

The Northern Irishman will then round off his Group 1 campaign against 18th seed and last year’s FedEx Cup champion Horschel on Friday.

The winner of the group will face the victors of Group 16, which is headlined by Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and also features American Kevin Na, Dutchman Joost Luiten and Alexander Levy of France.

Masters winner Jordan Spieth, ranked second in the world, has been paired with Lee Westwood, Matt Every and Mikko Ilonen - who was the last player in the field of 64 after Phil Mickelson's late withdrawal for personal reasons.

Justin Rose, sixth in the world following his victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday, will be up against Ryan Palmer, Anirban Lahiri and Marc Leishman.

Group 4 sees Bubba Watson paired with Louis Oosthuizen, Keegan Bradley and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Ian Poulter, who has a 22-12 record in match play, is in Jimmy Walker's group along with Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland, while Paul Casey, 16-9 in match-play, is in Adam Scott's group with Chris Kirk and Francesco Molinari.

Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry feature in Group 13 along with Rickie Fowler and Harris English.

Defending champion Jason Day of Australia is in Group 7 with Zach Johnson, Branden Grace and Charley Hoffman.

Spanish 10th seed Sergio Garcia has been drawn in an all-European Group 10 with Jamie Donaldson, Bernd Wiesberger and Tommy Fleetwood.

Draw (seedings before name):

Group 1: 

1-Rory McIlroy (NIrl), 18-Billy Horschel (USA), 35-Brandt Snedeker (USA), 53-Jason Dufner (USA)

Group 2:

2-Jordan Spieth (USA), 26-Lee Westwood (Eng), 40-Matt Every (USA), 62-Mikko Ilonen (Fin)

Group 3: 

3-Henrik Stenson (Swe), 23-Bill Haas (USA), 42-Brendon Todd (USA), 60-John Senden (Aus)

Group 4: 

4-Bubba Watson (USA), 29-Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), 33-Keegan Bradley (USA), 63-Miguel Angel Jimenez (Esp)

Group 5: 

5-Jim Furyk (USA), 17-Martin Kaymer (Ger), 44-Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), 59-George Coetzee (Rsa)

Group 6: 

6-Justin Rose (Eng), 22-Ryan Palmer (USA), 34-Anirban Lahiri (Ind), 56-Marc Leishman (Aus)

Group 7: 

7-Jason Day (Aus), 24-Zach Johnson (USA), 38-Branden Grace (Rsa), 49-Charley Hoffman (USA)

Group 8:

8-Dustin Johnson (USA), 21-Victor Dubuisson (Fra), 37-Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), 58-Matt Jones (Aus)

Group 9:

9-Adam Scott (Aus), 25-Chris Kirk (USA), 36-Paul Casey (Eng), 64-Francesco Molinari (Ita)

Group 10:

10-Sergio Garcia (Esp), 30-Jamie Donaldson (Wal), 39-Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), 54-Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

Group 11:

11-Jimmy Walker (USA), 27-Ian Poulter (Eng), 46-Webb Simpson (USA), 50-Gary Woodland (USA)

Group 12:

12-JB Holmes (USA), 19-Brooks Koepka (USA), 45-Russell Henley (USA), 51-Marc Warren (Sco)

Group 13:

13-Rickie Fowler (USA), 32-Graeme McDowell (NIrl), 47-Shane Lowry (Irl), 55-Harris English (USA)

Group 14:

14-Matt Kuchar (USA), 31-Hunter Mahan (USA), 41-Stephen Gallacher (Sco), 61-Ben Martin (USA)

Group 15:

15-Patrick Reed (USA), 28-Ryan Moore (USA), 48-Danny Willett (Eng), 57-Andy Sullivan (Eng)

Group 16:

16-Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), 20-Kevin Na (USA), 43-Joost Luiten (Ned), 52-Alexander Levy (Fra)

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McIlroy Lacks Masters Confidence

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Rory McIlroy admitted he needs to feel more confident with his all-round game before he bids to complete a career grand slam at the Masters next month.

The world No 1 was at odds with his swing throughout the week in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, where he closed with a level-par 72 after hitting two balls into the water at the 18th.

McIlroy was forced to apologise for throwing his three-iron into a lake in disgust on Friday after pulling his second shot to the eighth, although he was reunited with the club ahead of his final round after Doral owner Donald Trump commissioned a diver to retrieve it.

The 25-year-old, who had played with 13 clubs on Saturday rather than the permitted 14, asked Trump "Is it dry?" before putting the club straight into his bag with a sheepish grin. He then told Trump he would give the club back following the tournament to be auctioned off for charity.

McIlroy jokingly threatened to dispose of the three-iron in the same fashion after tugging his third into the water at the last having already rinsed his drive.

He chipped in to salvage a double-bogey six which dropped him to one under for the tournament, eight shots behind champion Dustin Johnson, and McIlroy now has only one tournament on his schedule before he heads to Augusta National.

McIlroy will make his debut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in a fortnight, and he remains determined to get his game into shape before the first major of the season.

"The game's just not quite there. I've got a week off now to try and work on it a little bit," said McIlroy, who missed the cut at last week's Honda Classic. "I am pretty disappointed with how I played overall. I felt it was a little better again today for the most part but a bit of a disappointing finish. But it's just not quite 100 percent.

"My inability to hit the ball right-to-left isn't something that you want going into Augusta. It is something I want to try and work on a little bit.

"Statistically, I hit the ball better this week. Still it's just not quite as comfortable as I would like. I've got a week off now to try to work on the game a bit and get a little sharper for Bay Hill.

"I'm tentative, a little bit scared to play certain shots, because I feel like I can't at the minute. So, hitting away from flags, trying to make sure that I am missing it in the right areas. Just playing quite conservatively, which is very much unlike me.

"I have just got to get back at it and try to figure out what I need to do, but I have no concerns about that. It's not something I need to play my way out of. It's just something that I need to stand on the range and beat balls until I feel comfortable with it again."

McIlroy will play practice rounds at Augusta National next week with his father Gerry and some friends, including New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

"I'll just be trying to hit shots that I need," he added. "I'll be hitting a lot of draws, or trying to hit a lot of draws, anyway."

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Rory McIlroy Proves No Cadillac

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Rory McIlroy threw one of his clubs into a lake during his second round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami.

The Northern Irishman had just pulled his approach shot into the water on the par-five eighth hole - and sent his long iron after it in frustration.

McIlroy, 25, is attempting to recover from a first-round score of 73, which left him 11 shots off the lead.

His missed cut at last week's Honda Classic was his first since June 2014.

Inexcusable behaviour!

McIlroy had just recorded his third birdie of the day to get back to level par for the tournament when he pulled his approach to the par-five eighth - a hole he had eagled on Thursday - into the water.

And after a few seconds' thought the 25-year-old then hurled the offending club into the same stretch of water on his way to recording a six, his third bogey of the day.

McIlroy recovered to card a round of 70 to lie one under par.

"Frustration got the better of me," he told Sky Sports. "Following on from last week I feel like it's very close and to hit shots like that you get frustrated, but I shouldn't have did what I did.

"It all bottled up and had to let it go somehow and that's what happened. I don't feel good about doing it but I will hopefully have a new three iron on the way in the morning and be able to got out and play with another one.

"I wouldn't encourage kids at home to do the same thing."

It is not the first time McIlroy's frustrations have got the better of him. At the US Open in 2013 he apologised for throwing one club and leaning so hard on another during the final round that he bent the shaft out of shape.

And that came just months after he walked off the course midway through the second round of the Honda Classic, where he was defending champion, telling reporters he was in "a bad place mentally" before his management company issued a statement blaming toothache.

McIlroy missed the cut in the Honda Classic last week and struggled to an opening 73 at Doral, but looked to be getting back on track when he began his second round with two straight birdies.

However, the four-time major winner then bogeyed the third after driving into the water and three-putted the fourth before the frustrations of the course known as the 'Blue Monster' truly took their toll on the eighth.

McIlroy added on Sky Sports 4: "You can see I'm aiming left to try and cut it and it's been frustrating this week because the shots I want to cut I draw, and the shots I want to draw I cut. I'm just not quite there with the swing the way I want to and another ball in the water wasn't good.

"(I have) another couple of rounds just to try and find a little bit of rhythm. I'm a little behind at the minute but it seems like the scores are quite spread out so if I can get off to a decent start tomorrow you never know."

Shane Lowry finished one over after a second round of 74.

Graeme McDowell finished two over a second successive 73.

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