Still Can Win The Masters - Rory McIlroy

Spieth and McIlroy, R3 - Getty Images

Rory McIlroy believes he still has a chance to win the Masters and complete the career grand slam after Jordan Spieth's late stumble threw the tournament wide open.

Spieth held a four-shot lead with two holes to play and was eight clear of playing partner McIlroy, who struggled to a 77 and failed to record a single birdie for the first time in 81 major championship rounds.

However, the defending champion then bogeyed the 17th and ran up a double bogey on the last to finish just a shot ahead of compatriot Smylie Kaufman, with McIlroy another four shots behind.

"I couldn't get anything going really," McIlroy said. "It felt more like a US Open than a Masters today. I am disappointed. I felt like I righted the ship a little on the back nine but couldn't take the few opportunities I gave myself.

"If I am to take heart from anything then it's the fact Jordan has just let a lot of people in after his finish. But I need to get off to a fast start tomorrow. The forecast is for better conditions and we know stranger things have happened, but I need to play a lot better than I played today.

"I think it's winnable from here. If Jordan hadn't had that finish then I would probably say no, but he finished that way and the guys on two and three over like myself feel like we have a chance now. I just have to make sure that I get off to a fast start and put some red numbers on the board and make a bit of noise to put a bit of pressure on the guys playing behind me.

"I need to be more aggressive. I played very tentatively today right from the get-go. I hit it in the bunker on two and that was the way of it. I didn't birdie any of the holes I had been doing for the first two days, I didn't take advantage of the par fives.

"I made a couple of big numbers and had no red on the card and that is never going to bode well. I was trying so hard on that last putt to just make one birdie today but it wasn't to be.

"I'm only five back and I can't believe I am standing here saying that because I was eight behind standing on the 17th tee. I need to regroup and stay positive and go out and attack tomorrow."

Related articles

• McIlroy's last chance for a win before the Masters
• Rory McIlroy defeats Kevin Na in a sudden-death playoff
• WGC-Dell Match Play 2016: Friday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights
• Announcing GOLFstats iQ - Intelligence for Fantasy Golf - from GOLFstats.com
• Little Linksters “Best Pee-Wee Golf Swing in the World” Video Contest Celebrates 5th Year
• Jason Day the last man standing after final round of Arnold Palmer Invitational

All Wells Fargo for McIlroy

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy was left frustrated by a ‘disappointing’ finish to his what he felt was a ‘solid’ first round at the Wells Fargo Championship.

The world No 1 struck six birdies during a solid opening 70 at Quail Hollow, although he would have finished higher up the leaderboard had it not been for a double-bogey on the penultimate hole.

McIlroy saw his tee-shot bounce off the rocks in front of the 17th green and land in the hazard, before he two-putted uphill after firing to within eight feet of the flag from the drop zone.

The late error leaves the world No 1 five strokes adrift of early pace-setter Robert Streb, but McIlroy, who won his first PGA Tour title in this event back in 2010, still had positives to take from his opening day.

“For the most part today it was solid golf,” McIlroy told Sky Sports 4. “I took advantage of the holes I needed to out there, but a bit disappointed with how it finished.

“For the most part today I felt I was pretty good on the greens. I did what I wanted to today.

“I need to get out there early tomorrow and hopefully shoot something a little bit lower, keeping the mistakes off my card for the next three days.”

McIlroy, looking to bounce back from a disappointing display with the putter at TPC Sawgrass last week, drilled in a 10-foot birdie at the first but dropped a stroke at the par-three second after leaving his approach short of the green.

Gains at the fifth and the seventh allowed the world No 1 to reach the turn in 34, before a tap-in birdie at the 10th was followed by a two-putt bogey from 15-feet at the next.

He shaved the hole at the par-three 13th with a 27-foot putt back-to-back gains at the 14th and 15th temporarily lifted him to within three of Streb heading in to the famous Green Mile, although lost ground with that error on the par-three 17th. 

McIlroy was then forced to save par at the last, finding the rough from the tee and then a greenside bunker with his iron shot, eventually chipping out of the sand to leave a three feet putt. 

The Northern Irishman is involved in one of the first groups out on Friday, beginning his second round alongside Ben Martin and Patrick Reed, who posted a first round 66, at 1pm UK time.

Related articles

• McIlroy shows big improvement at Players
• Streb races to early lead at Wells Fargo Championship
• Analysis: Players win thrusts Fowler into major conversation
• Streb Races to Early Lead at Wells Fargo Championship
• Former OSU Golfer Rickie Fowler Wins Golf's "Fifth Major"
• Garcia hunts for second Players Championship

Rory Suffers Cold Putter at Players

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy admitted he needs a "pretty special" final round at TPC Sawgrass if he is to contend for a maiden Players Championship title on Sunday.

The world No 1 continued to delight from tee to green, but he struggled to contain his frustration after again failing to convert a number of excellent birdie chances as he carded a two-under 70 to close on six under.

McIlroy made a confident start with a birdie at the second, but his problems scoring on the front nine over the Stadium Course continued as he bogeyed the fifth and eighth and then whiffed a pitch at the long ninth.

Left of the green in two, McIlroy's lob wedge slid straight under the ball in the lush rough, but he composed himself before playing a sublime fourth to within three feet to save his par.

He got one shot back with a four at the 11th, and he rolled in a tricky downhill putt for birdie at 13 before two-putting from 15 feet for another at 16.

McIlroy had a chance to get to seven under following an excellent drive and approach to within 10 feet at the last, but the opportunity slid past and left him to reflect on what might have been.

"Tee to green it's been really good, I've given myself a lot of chances and really could not convert much," McIlroy told Sarah Stirk at the Sky Cart on Sky Sports4.

"I've struggled to read the greens all week and just don't quite have it on the greens like I did last week (when he won the WGC-Cadillac Match Play).

"I've left myself in a position where I am going to need something pretty special tomorrow to have a chance; a 64 or 65 to get somewhere around 13 or 14 under. I think that would go very close."

Related articles

• Haas, Martin in the mix at The Players
• Sports › Matsuyama leads Players Championship
• Golf Capsules
• Rory McIlroy at Players Championship 2015: Friday Leaderboard Score, Reaction
• Jordan Spieth sputters in star group at Players

All Positives for McIlroy

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy insisted there were plenty of positives to take from his opening round at Bay Hill, despite squandering several chances to move higher up the leaderboard.

McIlroy hit all but one of the greens in regulation on his Bay Hill debut – equalling his career best on the PGA Tour – but was only able to convert that into three birdies during an opening round 70.

The Northern Irishman, yet to post a sub-70 round in America this year, had already missed five birdie putts from within 20-feet when he saw his approach to the par-five 16th pitch into a bank short of the green and roll back down into the water.

Although McIlroy’s fourth shot after a penalty drop found the green, his 35-foot par-save putt drifted left of the cup in his only blemish of the round.

Despite the disappointment with the putter leaving McIlroy four strokes off the lead, the four-time major winner was left encouraged by his opening round.

Golf's world No 1 Rory McIlroy insists he feels okay and isn't worried about a below average round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Speaking to Sky Sports 4, McIlroy said: "I feel okay. I saw a lot of positives out there and was just trying to stay as patient as possible.

“I’m disappointed to play the par-fives in even par for the day, especially around here. If you can play the par-fives well you’re going to do well, so hopefully I can improve on that over the week.”

“The greens are not quite as good as they could be and if it had been a better putting day it could have been a lot lower, but I feel a lot better about my game and it was nice to finish with a birdie."

This week’s event is McIlroy’s last before attempting to complete a career grand slam with Masters victory at Augusta next month.

While McIlroy has struggled, in recent displays at Palm Beach and Doral, to replicate the form that saw him storm to victory at the Desert Swing finale in Dubai, he is determined to get back to challenging at the top of leaderboards.

"I want to feel that feeling of being in contention,” McIlroy added. “The win in Dubai feels like a long time ago. It will be nice to get myself into the hunt going into the weekend."

Related articles

• Hoffman takes first PGA Tour lead on day his grandmother dies
• Hoffman takes first PGA Tour lead on day his grandmother dies
• Hoffman learns grandmother dies, then takes lead at Bay Hill
• McIlroy to Miss Honda Cut
• David Hearn three off first-round lead at Bay Hill
• Rory McIlroy comes close to achieving history, while Ian Poulter cheers up his sick son with a fine opening round in Orlando

Classic Harrington Wins Honda

Getty Images

Padraig Harrington overturned a four-shot final day deficit to snatch a dramatic victory at the second play-off hole of a rain-delayed Honda Classic.

After bad weather had forced the tournament into a fifth day, Harrington, without a PGA Tour title since a two-stroke win at the 2008 PGA Championship, sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to finish level on six-under with rookie Daniel Berger and force a play-off.

The pair both two-putted the first extra hole at the 18th for par, before Harrington nailed his tee-shot at the 17th to within five-feet of the hole as Berger found the hazard. With the American only able to double-bogey, Harrington took two attempts from five feet to end his title drought and book his ticket to next month's Masters. 

Earlier, Harrington had struck four birdies in a row to move in to the clubhouse lead, missing a 10-foot putt at the 15th for a fifth successive gain. The Irishman had lost his advantage with a double-bogey at the penultimate hole when his tee-shot flew into the water hazard, but sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force a play-off.

Berger, nine shots adrift heading in to the final round, had fired back-to-back birdies to close with an impressive six-under 64. 

Poulter, searching for a first stroke-play win in America, opened the day by rolling in a birdie at the 8th before missing an 11-foot putt for a further gain at the following hole.

Reaching the turn two clear, the world No 36 opened up the top of the leaderboard with a double-bogey at the 11th, finding the water with his second shot and then two-putting from 15-feet.

The Englishman was unfortunate again at the 13th when, from 120 yards, his second shot from the fairway bunker rattled the flag and spun away, with the resulting 15-foot birdie putt rolling alongside the hole.

Things went from bad to worse for Poulter at the next when, after taking a drop out of water following a wayward tee-shot, his third shot from the dirt ricocheting off a palm tree and ended back in the lake. After seeing his fifth shot fall in to a deep bunker, Poulter had to settle for triple-bogey.

With others faltering around him, Poulter ended positively with back-to-back birdies to end tied-third alongside British duo Russell Knox and Paul Casey. 

Overnight joint-leader Casey picked up an early birdie at the ninth, before dropping shots with an eight-foot missed putt at 11 and a tee-shot into a bunker at 14. Needing to pick up a stroke at the 18th to move joint-leader, Casey played his third shot out of the bunker to within 20-feet of the hole but saw his birdie-putt slow up inches short. 

Despite carding three bogeys in his final round, Knox ended strongly to post a two-under 68, while Jamie Donaldson made three late gains to finish a further shot back, with a three-putt from 50-feet at the 16th his only blemish.

Related articles

• Day wins at Torrey Pines in play-off
• Hahn hangs on to win first PGA Tour title
• Casey, Poulter share lead at rain-soaked Honda Classic
• Not Classic McIlroy at Honda
• Harrington takes one-shot lead
• Poulter's courtesy car towed at Torrey Pines

Padraig Races Ahead at Honda

Getty Images

Padraig Harrington fired an opening round 67, three under par, that left him in tied-third, two shots behind first round leader Jim Herman. “Even I was struggling, questioning and doubting myself,” said Harrington of the testing wind conditions which caused consternation for the majority of the field.

McIlroy ultimately displayed his resolve to overcome the elements in a round that featured two double-bogeys in his opening five holes to shoot a 73, three over. His round was rescued to a degree by birdies on the closing two holes: from 30 feet on the 17th, and a two-putt birdie on the par five 18th.

Harrington ended a run of three consecutive missed cuts to finish tied-56th in last week’s Northern Trust Open and to take some confidence into the first leg of the Florida Swing, but suffered a bogey on the second hole where he pushed his tee shot into a native dirt area and could only move the recovery shot some 30 yards into a bunker on the way to a dropped shot.

But that bogey served as a wake-up call for the three-time Major champion as he bounced back with a birdie on the par five third and sank an 18-footer for birdie on the eighth.

Harrington had struggled early on, missing four of the first six greens, but kept his focus to make the most of whatever opportunities arose.

He showed great battling qualities to reel off seven straight pars in the tough conditions from the ninth before hitting a superb approach from 200 yards in to three feet for a birdie on the 16th.

On the par five 18th, playing downwind, he hit a 340-yard drive, hit his 223 yards approach on to the green and two-putted for a birdie that put him into a good position.

“I found it difficult,” admitted Harrington. “But I holed a couple of nice putts and, on a windy day, when you do that, you feel you are ahead of the pack if you can make a few more birdies. As tough as the day was, I kept telling myself it suited me more than most guys.”

Harrington was well rewarded for his doggedness and perseverance, as he stuck to his task to roll back the years.

Graeme McDowell had a dreadful opening to his round with four bogeys in the first five holes and then suffered a double bogey on the second, his 11th. He salvaged something from the round with an eagle on the third, but it was more a case of damage limitation. 

Related articles

• McIlroy struggles in wind, unheralded Herman leads Honda Classic
• Not Classic McIlroy at Honda
• Herman survives windy day; McIlroy stumbles at Honda Classic
• American Herman moves one ahead at Honda Classic
• Herman survives windy day; McIlroy stumbles at Honda Classic

Meadow Loses LPGA Play-Off

Getty Images

Stephanie Meadow missed out on a LPGA card after a dramatic 12-hole play-off ended when America’s Carlin Beck chipped in for a birdie on the 18th hole at Final Qualifying in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The 22-year-old from Jordanstown was also in the rough close to the 18th green but her attempt to follow Beck and hole out failed.

It means Beck gains Category 12 status along with 19 other golfers, while Meadow will play on next year’s LPGA Tour with the more limited Category 17 status.

Meadow had a chance on the second play-off hole of the morning, the eighth in total after six were played on on Sunday, but she just missed a birdie putt from 10 feet after Beck and Casey Grice both missed their putts.

Grice was eliminated at the fourth hole they played today when she made bogey at the 10th, a hole where Meadow played a brilliant bunker shot to make par and continue on to the 18th, the 100th hole she played in the tournament.

Meadow looked set to earn Category 12 status without the need for a play-off before she made bogey at the 16th and 17th holes during the fifth and final round of regulation play on Sunday.

Related articles

• Meadow Makes Qualifying Moves
• Lydia Ko becomes youngest to win LPGA Tour rookie of the year award
• Lydia Ko becomes youngest to win LPGA Tour rookie of the year award
• Lydia Ko, 17, wins LPGA Tour rookie of the year
• Kiwi teen Ko wins Tour Championship, season crown

Meadow Makes Qualifying Moves

Getty Images

Stephanie Meadow remains well-placed for a place in the top order in the fourth round of the final stage of the LPGA qualifying tournament in Daytona Beach.

Meadow shot her second 72 of the week on the course yesterday, sandwiching a 66 on the Hills Course where she will tee off today five shots off the pace set by South Korea’s Ha Na Jang on 11 under.

Meadow began with nine straight pars before a birdie at 10, but back-to-back bogeys saw her drop to one over for the day before picking up that shot at the last.

She’ll look forward to a return to a layout more suited to her game.

“I’ve had some good history on this course,” she said of her 66 at Hills. “I played in a tournament here and won my freshman year so I really like this course and feel like it’s good for my game. I’m accurate and that’s what you need out here.”

Her target, first and foremost, is a place in the top 70 to make Sunday’s play, again on the Hills Course, and that looks to be all but secure with her current score of six under good enough for a share of seventh.

In the fifth and final round, Meadow will need to finish in the top 20 to claim “full-time” status on the LPGA Tour while players who finish between 21st and 45th will have “conditional” status.

Related articles

• Lydia Ko becomes youngest to win LPGA Tour rookie of the year award
• Lydia Ko becomes youngest to win LPGA Tour rookie of the year award
• Lydia Ko, 17, wins LPGA Tour rookie of the year
• Lydia Ko becomes youngest to win LPGA Tour rookie of the year award
• '5s' leave Hawaii golfers way back
• Lydia Ko wins $1M from LPGA's Race to CME Globe